


Hold My Hand, And Don't Let Go

by joooooooo_e



Series: stringing together memories for you and i to look over someday [2]
Category: Sense8 (TV)
Genre: F/M, fake date au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-30
Updated: 2017-08-01
Packaged: 2018-11-21 10:50:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 25,237
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11355951
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/joooooooo_e/pseuds/joooooooo_e
Summary: it started out as a ruse, how did it end up like this?





	1. Chapter 1

Kala leaned her head against the edge of the wooden counter of the bar. Her hands were in front of her, clutching an embossed piece of paper that glimmered as it caught the light. She closed her eyes and tried to let the sounds of drunken conversations and liquid being poured into glasses distract her from the pounding of her head.

She sat up straight when she heard a man speak up. “You’re still reading that?” He asked, and placed a shot glass with clear liquid next to her arm.

“I can’t help it,” she pouted and gulped down the shot, wincing as the tequila burned her throat. “I have to RSVP by tonight and say if I’m bringing a date or not.” She sighed. _When had she ever had a problem going alone to private functions?_

She must have said that out loud, because he snorted in response. “Come on, hermosa.” He wiped a spot on the counter and tossed the cloth away. “A beautiful woman such as yourself would be able to find a date just like _that_ ,” he snapped his fingers with a wink. 

“Yeah?” She looked at him disbelievingly. “It’s been years, Lito.” She shook her head at him. “And my only kind-of-but-not-really boyfriend is the one getting married. 

Lito rolled his eyes, and poured her another drink. “How far away is the wedding?” He took in the invitation from her and skimmed through the text. “Hm,” his eyes narrowed as he read, “just over a month from now, yes?” 

She nodded, and took the shot. 

“That’s plenty of time to find you a date, carina.” He smiled at her with a twinkle in his eyes. He took her glass and placed it in the sink.

Kala doubted that, but his hopefulness was infectious, that she grinned back. 

Another man walked up and sat down next to her. “Who are we finding a date for?” Lito leaned over the counter to kiss the man on the lips with a loud smack. 

“Hernando, it’s fine.” Kala pat him on the shoulder. 

Lito laughed loud enough for the people three tables away to look at him curiously. He waved by way of apology and turned back to the two people in front of him. “She needs a date to her ex-boyfriend’s wedding.” 

Kala gave him a pointed look. “I don’t _need_ a date, and Rajan was not _technically_ my boyfriend.” 

Lito shrugged and said, “Yeah. Okay, details, details.” 

They lapsed into silence after that, and Kala was perfectly fine sitting on the bar stool wallowing in her self-pity. She tried to avoid Hernando’s eyes, which alternated between looking at her sadly, and looking at Lito as he walked away from them to serve other customers. 

When he came back, Lito was a burst of excited energy. “Give me your phone.” He held out his hand at Kala with an encouraging nod. 

“Why?” She was nervous all of a sudden.

At the same time, Hernando scolded him. “Lito, you’re working.” 

“I own this bar.” He stuck his tongue out at Hernando. He looked at Kala again. “Just give it to me.” 

She made no move to do so. Lito sighed, “Trust me.” 

Kala slowly reached into her purse that was next to her arm, and placed her phone into Lito’s open palm. He didn’t need to ask for her passcode, because they shared the same code. She could see his fingers type away for a few minutes. 

The smile on Lito’s face was enough to make her suspicious. Even more so when he sang, “And sent.” He handed her the phone back, the text still displayed on the screen. 

Kala read through the email carefully. It was courteous; the first line read, _Congratulations on your engagement!_ Okay, so it was a message to Rajan and Navya. That was nice of Lito to write. It was all well until she saw the postscript at the bottom of the email. _And of course, I will be attending and I will be bringing a date with me._ Wait what? 

She gasped. “Lito, what did you just do?!”

He didn’t say anything, but just grinned at her cheekily. “Are you crazy?”

She couldn’t stop looking between her phone and Lito. “Who says I’m even going to find a date by then?”

“How do you know if you won’t try?” He shrugged, and grabbed an empty glass and poured another shot of tequila for her.

“Lito, please.” She turned to Hernando expectantly, who remained silent throughout the exchange. “Hernando, talk some sense into him.” 

There was silence for a few moments before he spoke. “Honey, what you did was a little uncalled for.” 

Lito’s eyes widened and his mouth opened to respond, but Hernando lifted a hand in motion to continue speaking. “But…” He turned to Kala this time, “would it be so bad if you did bring a date?”

She was still fuming, but that got her thinking. _God, it’s been years since she’s done this. How does she even begin to do it? Kala Dandekar going to bars to try and find a date to bring to India for her ex’s wedding?_ She huffed. _It’s like a comedy sit-com waiting to happen._  

As if he sensed her apprehension, Hernando spoke again. “Why not just try and meet a few people, yes? And then if it doesn’t work out, we’ll figure out another way for this date-situation to happen, okay?” 

She supposed when he put it that way, meeting new people wasn’t going to be so bad. “Okay.”

  
…

  
Kala let another week pass before she consulted the most sensible people she knew.

“I don’t know what to do,” she puffed her cheeks and blew a sigh, playing with the untouched chai latte in front of her. “All the men Lito keeps asking me to meet at his bar are so…” She struggled to find the right word. “Sleazy.”

Sat across from her, Sun and Nomi both nodded in agreement with solemn frowns on their faces. Kala weighed her options with a sigh. “If I do go with a fake date, then I’d have to lie to everyone about how we got together.” She shifted on her seat. “But if I go alone, then I’d have to face everyone as they ask me why my supposed date isn’t there.” She looked up at Nomi and Sun imploringly. “It seems like I would lose either way.”

Nomi was the first to scoff, “Darling, you don’t even need a date. I mean, who even cares about bringing dates to weddings anymore?”

“There’s no shame in going alone.” Sun nodded with a small smile.

“Absolutely,” Nomi agreed. “And you can always say that your date didn’t end up working out, so you just went by yourself.”

Sun raised an eyebrow. “Or, you can always bring a friend.”

Kala hummed in consideration. She didn’t really think about that.

“Oh my god, yes, Sun!” Nomi beamed. “Dates aren’t exclusive to being romantic, anyway. You can totally bring one of us as a platonic date! Hah!” She slapped the table in victory.

Kala let their words sink into her head. _Huh_ , she thought, _they had a good point_. She was about to agree when the bells attached to the café door rung obnoxiously. There was something odd that settled in Kala’s chest, and when she looked up at the person who walked in, she cursed loudly. She ducked her head down to try and avoid being seen, but it was too late.

The woman noticed her and slid her sunglasses off slowly before tucking it into her bag. “Kala?” After quickly placing her order, she walked over to their table, heels clacking on the marbled floor. The sound was deafening to Kala’s ears. When she neared them, she bent down slightly to kiss Kala’s cheek. “Kala, I haven’t seen you in a long time!”

“Navya,” Kala said without enthusiasm. “You saw me at the company meeting yesterday.” She didn’t bother to extend platitudes because she knew full well how this conversation was going to go.

“Oh, you know what I meant.” The woman tutted disapprovingly. “I almost didn’t recognise you without your little laboratory coat on,” she sneered, and Kala gave an uncomfortable smile in return.

“Well you know,” Kala shrugged, “can’t operate in a safe environment making medicine without protective gear.”

The woman made a noise of exaggerated acknowledgement. “Ah, that’s right. You’re always working.”

Kala thought she sounded patronising. Sun and Nomi exchanged wary looks, but stayed silent, much to her dismay.

She continued, “I’m quite excited to meet this date of yours. Kala Dandekar finally found a man she could set aside time for.”

Kala’s jaw tightened in anger, but said nothing in response.

The woman smirked, obviously satisfied at her reaction. “It’s such a shame that you turned Rajan down. But I’m very thankful,” she flipped her hair back. “I fell in love with a wonderful man who just so happened to own a multi-million dollar pharmaceutical empire.”

Kala loosened her jaw to give a placid smile. “Yes, I’m happy for the two of you.”

But it seemed like the woman didn’t hear her, or didn’t care enough of what Kala had to say, because she spoke further, “Word of advice, Kala: Not all of your time has to be dedicated to work. It would do you some good to sometimes relax, and enjoy moments with the people you care about.” She sighed. “If you don’t, you could very well end up alone,” she looked Kala up and down, “and that would be a shame.”

Before Kala could retort, the barista called out her order and the woman excused herself. “I’ll see you at the wedding. Take care.”

They all stared at the woman as she walked away. Nomi shook her head in obvious disgust. “Oh, hell no.”


	2. Chapter 2

She pushed the trolley in front of her slowly, turning her head every few steps to try and spot familiar faces. People who passed by her tossed angry scowls and hardened glares as they hurried their pace. One woman even bumped into her shoulder in her haste, almost knocking Kala over, but she held on to her trolley and steadied herself. Despite the situation, she laughed quietly. Maybe it was the jetlag settling in and she was too tired to say anything, or maybe it was because the woman was probably too excited to see her family again, and Kala didn’t have the heart in her to be angry. All she knew was the bustle of Gatwick Airport was oddly comforting, because it reminded her of Mumbai. _Just two more days, and you’ll be home._

She yawned and kept walking towards the ‘Arrivals Pick-Up’ lane. With one hand securing her luggage in front of her, she took her phone from her pocket with the other to check the time, and sighed. _8:40 AM. They said they would be here before her plane landed._

“Kala! Kala! Over here!” She turned her head when she heard her name being called out, and saw two people waving their hands frantically in the air just a few meters away.

She grinned widely and waved back. “Will! Riley!” She pushed her trolley towards them and gathered them into a big hug. “It’s great to see you again!”

“Oh, love, you too!” Riley exclaimed with a soft lilt in her voice that always made Kala smile. 

Will kissed her cheek with a loud smack. “We missed you.” He squeezed her tighter once more before he released her and grabbed her bags.

They all got into a taxi, with Will sitting in the front passenger seat, and Kala and Riley curled up together in the back. She tried to stay awake and take part in their conversation, but Kala’s eyes were heavy and kept closing on their own volition.

The last thing she remembered was the feeling of Riley’s lips against her temple, and her soft voice that whispered, “You must be so tired from your flight. Sleep, love, and we’ll wake you when we get to our place.”

  
…

  
It was well past four in the afternoon when Kala woke up. She got up from the bed and stretched her muscles with a groan, the tension from her long flight being released. The noises from outside the bedroom weren’t loud, but she could register them clearly: the sound of a recorded audience laughing from the television in the living room, water splashing loudly into the sink, and the hiss of something being fried on the kitchen stove. 

She walked out and was greeted with two smiles, and she responded with a small smile of her own. The kitchen table was laden with food: a bowl of beans, a plate stacked with toasted bread, some fruit and yoghurt, and a box of muesli. Riley was nursing a cup between her hands as she leaned against the sink and watched the stove, and Will was sat on the table reading through a newspaper. It was all so domestic.

Kala breathed deeply, blinked away the sleep and sat across from Will. He put the newspaper away and took a sip from the mug in front of him. “Did you have a good sleep?”

She nodded gratefully. “Thank you for letting me stay over for a few days before I go to India. I’ve never liked long stopovers and connecting flights. The flight from Chicago to here was enough.”

“It’s not a problem at all,” he shrugged. “Besides, we’re family, right? That’s what we do.” Kala smiled at that.

“What was it that Nomi called us?” Riley placed the plate of fried eggs down and sat next to Will. “A global cluster?”

“Yeah, a global cluster. A group of people around the world who come together when we need each other.” Will said with a laugh. He took another sip from his mug. “How are you, Kala? And how’s Chicago nowadays?”

“It’s getting cold,” Kala shrugged. “I can’t wait to be somewhat warm in India.”

Riley leaned forward, placing her cup down on the table. “Speaking of,” she began with a sly smile. “The wedding’s just over a week away, right? How’s that date thing going with you? Have you found someone, or are you taking a fake date?”

Kala looked at her quizzically. “How do you even know about that? We haven’t spoken in so long.”

“Nomi told us.”

She rolled her eyes. “Of course she did.” She shook her head and said glumly, “But, no. I haven’t found a date.” After she saw the look on their faces, she added as a joke, “Unless of course by some miracle, you’ve found someone.”

Riley immediately lit up with a smile. “We know a guy that would be perfect to be your date." 

Kala brushed it off with a slight laugh, “Yeah right.” But when neither Riley nor Will joined her in laughter, she stopped laughing. “Oh, you’re not joking.”

“No. Not at all.” Will shook his head. “And he agreed to be your date when we asked him.”

“He did?” Kala looked at him sceptically. “Who is he?”

Will took some time before he said, “Well…He’s German.”

Riley piped, “He’s very cute. Dusty blond hair, lovely blue eyes, excellent body –

Will nodded in agreement. “He likes to swim.”

“He likes drinking beer,” Riley added, and Kala nodded quickly, trying to keep up with all the sudden information. She continued, “We met him here, in London, while I was playing a set at a festival –

“I nearly had to arrest him for public indecency,” Will interjected with a laugh. 

Riley gasped, “Oh my god, I remember that!” She clapped her hands in amusement, “What about when we all went to Fabric afterwards? And he brought his friend, Felix, with him?” 

_Felix. That name sounded familiar._ _Lito may have mentioned his name once or twice before._   _Something to do with Daniela, maybe?_ But Kala was sure she'd heard this story from someone else, too.

“That was hilarious!” Will leaned back on his chair and slapped the table when he rocked back to sit upright. “Shit! When he beat up that guy who tried to hit on you while I was getting us drinks? I’ve never – 

Kala interrupted them with a gasp. “Wait a minute,” she held up a questioning finger to Will. “Is this the same German friend that has anger management issues?”

Will and Riley stopped laughing and both looked at each other, while Kala watched them with wide eyes. “You said he was volatile. And might be a danger to society!”

“I didn’t say he was _volatile_ , per se. And he’s not _that_ much of a danger…” Will gaped at her, and when she crossed her arms in defiance, he turned to Riley. “Babe, please. Help me here.”

Riley bit her lip to stop her grin, but was unable to, and she burst into laughter. “Kala, I promise you, Wolfgang Bogdanow is a perfectly normal human being. Trust us. We’ve known him for ages.”

_Wolfgang Bogdanow? Great_ , Kala thought. But she kept her uneasiness to herself, and silently prayed that everything would work itself out.

After a period of silence, Riley smiled at her. “Now, would you like some chai tea?”


	3. Chapter 3

The knot in Kala’s stomach was getting tighter by the second, and she wanted nothing more than to throw up. “What if he doesn’t come?” She bit her bottom lip in worry and tucked a non-existent strand of hair behind her ear.

Riley smiled at her as she smoothed a comforting hand up and down her arm. “He will. Don’t worry.”

Will looked up from his phone. “He just texted me that he’s almost here. The train’s running a little late, that’s all.”

Kala nodded, and tried to find solace in the masses of people walking through Heathrow Airport. She spotted at a couple carrying a massive backpack each, looking through the small map opened in front of them and pointing happily at the landmarks and cities they wanted to see. There was an older man a few seats away from the couple, sitting down with his hands clasped in front of him, who instantly broke into tears as three children gathered around him and folded him into an embrace. Kala smiled. _A few more hours, and then she’d get to see her family too._

More time passed by, and the train went from running a little late, to _very_ late. She swallowed thickly as she looked at the time on her phone with one hand. The fingers of her other hand tapped impatiently on the handle of her suitcase. _Soon, she’ll be meeting her fake date. That is, if he ever gets here._

She berated herself. _Come on, Kala. Riley and Will trust him. And if they say he’s a great person, then maybe he is._ She took a deep breath and was about to walk towards the café to grab a chai latte, when she heard Riley gasp out loud. 

“Wolfgang!” Riley exclaimed to a man with blonde hair, who was about Will’s height, as he walked over to them. He was dressed in all black, with a leather jacket to match, and Kala resisted a groan.

 _Wolfgang Bogdanow. Of course he was dressed like he came straight out of the set of an action film._ She observed his casual bravado, and the way his face looked like it was permanently set to a smirk. _Of course he was the furthest away from the kind of men her family would expect her to be dating. Of course._

As he put his bags down, Riley pulled him in for a hug, and kissed his cheeks. He said nothing, but returned the hug with that smirk still on his face.

She passed him over to Will, and they clapped each other on the back as they embraced. “Hey, man. What’s up?”

Again, he said nothing. And when he turned to face Kala properly, the words she was about to say caught in her throat. His eyes were even more vibrant and blue than she imagined. From their close proximity, she could see his pupils widen as he stared back at her. She swallowed as his eyes swept down her frame quickly, but she kept her gaze on his face, willing the blush threatening to rise on her cheeks to settle down.

He had a slight stubble that made him look rough, but it was softened by his smile – which Kala now realised replaced his smirk. It was enough to make her heart beat a little faster.

Will coughed to break the silence, and she gathered herself enough to say a breathless, “Hi.”

He blinked once before he repeated her words. “Hi.”

Riley squealed and put her hands on both their shoulders. She gestured with a nod of her head as she made introductions. “Kala, this is Wolfgang. Wolfgang, this is Kala.” She winked at Kala before she told Wolfgang, “She’s head of one of the departments at Rasal Pharmaceuticals.”

“Rasal Pharmaceuticals?” Wolfgang raised one eyebrow at her. “Impressive. How’d you manage that?”

Kala was lost in her own thoughts for a few seconds before she caught up with the conversation. “Oh, well I’m mostly in research and development.” She sighed happily at a conversation topic she was most comfortable with, and Wolfgang made no indication of stopping her, so she kept going. “But lately I’ve been writing a thesis on the psychedelic drug, DMT, and working on a possible androgen booster drug that blocks a person’s emphatic synaptic connections.” She made motions with her hands as she spoke, and her eyes widened as she got more excited about her work. “It’s amazing. It inhibits the entactogens and bonds them to neural proteins, so this effective ligand could…” she trailed off, her gaze locking with Wolfgang’s.

The look on his face was one she wasn’t familiar with. His head was slightly tilted, and he had a knowing smile on his face. He was probably trying not to be rude. But she knew what it implied all the same. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and looked shyly to the ground. “I’m sorry, I’m probably boring you.”

“No, I’m interested.” He sounded sincere, and she lifted her head to look at him properly.

“Really?” She wasn’t sure she heard him correctly.

“Of course.” He nodded resolutely, as if being uninterested was even a possibility. “But would it be better for you if I was bored, then?” He smile turned into a smirk, and Kala inhaled sharply.

“No, no.” She shook her head, surprised. “It’s just…people say I get too excited when I talk about biochemistry and immunological research. Even more so when I talk about stepping into neuropharmacology. They tell me it’s too complicated for them to understand. And I do tend to ramble, so…”

He shrugged, and a small smile graced his lips. “You’re just passionate about it. Most people can’t say the same about themselves.”

She contemplated his words. _Hm. Maybe this fake dating thing won’t be so bad after all._

Will leaned forward, his hands held in front of him as if reluctant to interrupt their conversation. “Hate to break it to you guys.” He looked at his watch and turned back to them. “But, uh, you have to check your bags in and get through immigration soon.”

“That’s right.” Riley nodded. She gathered Kala and Wolfgang into a hug and gave them final kisses on their cheeks. “Have a safe flight, you two.”

Kala smiled at her. “Thanks, Riley.”

Wolfgang nodded at Riley and Will as he picked his luggage up before looking at Kala expectantly. “Shall we?”

She nodded, and grabbed her own bags. “Yes.”

…

  
Kala shifted in her seat as she slowly stirred awake from the cold blast of the plane’s air-conditioning. She inhaled deeply, and the scent of leather and fresh mint was enough to wake her up, but she kept her eyes closed. She hummed in contentment when the arm around her tightened its grip and pressed her body against a warm yet solid frame. _Wait..._  

She lifted her chin up to look at the person next to her. _Wolfgang Bogdanow._ He gave her a soft smile. “Hey, we’re almost landing.”

Her eyes widened in shock as she took in what was happening _. I slept next to Wolfgang Bogdanow on the plane. And he has his arms around me._ “What?” She pulled away from his hold and turned her head to look around her surroundings.

“You fell asleep right after we took off.” She looked back at him, and he shrugged. “You must be pretty tired.”

 _Not anymore._ “And what about you? Did you sleep?” 

He looked out the window to see the silhouette of houses and streets illuminated by yellow lights. Kala leaned forward to catch a glimpse of home, and smiled to herself. She looked at the back of Wolfgang’s head, and waited for him to say something.

It took a few moments for him to answer. “Not really.” He turned his head to look at her, and Kala again felt overwhelmed by the intensity of his gaze.

She felt another blush rising on her cheeks as she breathed, “Oh.”  


…

  
They arrived at their hotel late into the night. The lobby was expansive, and bathed in golden lighting from the crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. It opened to a courtyard, with a giant fountain in the middle, and bushes of roses filled the gardens. Back inside, smooth ivory pillars led Kala’s eyes to stare up at the ceiling in wonder. The space was covered with a fresco painting, which even from her obscure view looked very detailed, and she wished to inspect it up close.

She turned to Wolfgang, who had a similar impressed look on his face. He nodded in agreement at her silent appraisal of their home for the week. _Nomi and Sun really went the extra mile._

Together, they walked to the reception desk, where they were immediately greeted by a smiling man. “Good evening, and welcome. How may I help you?”

Kala cleared her throat. “I have a reservation under Kala Dandekar.”

The man typed something into the computer behind the counter, and hummed. “Yes, the reservation was made by Ms Nomi Marks, and it was paid for by Ms Sun Bak.” He looked at them. “Is this correct?”

She nodded, although a little unsure. “Uh, yes.”

“Perfect.” He handed them two key cards and an information pack about their stay. “There is a free breakfast buffet from six-thirty until ten o’clock ever morning of your stay. But you can also get room service free of charge, courtesy of the Presidential Suite package. The sauna and the pool on the twenty-first floor are open all day.” Kala turned to Wolfgang with raised eyebrows at that. “We have a rooftop bar that is open from five in the afternoon onwards, but please be aware of the formal dress code.”

He looked closely at his computer screen again and said, “Would you excuse me for a second?” He left the reception desk empty-handed and returned with a bottle, which he handed to Wolfgang.

“This was in the reservation notes. As well as this,” he handed Kala a folded piece of paper. She opened it curiously, but crumpled it in her hands when she read the two words typed neatly. _Have fun._

 _Nomi. Oh my god._ She made a mental note to ask Nomi about it later, and shook her head at Wolfgang when he gave her a questioning look.

The man beckoned another employee to come over. “This is Aarush. He will show you to your rooms. Thank you and we hope you enjoy your stay. Let me know if you need anything.” 

Kala and Wolfgang smiled at him as they followed Aarush to the elevators. 

  
…

  
“Huh.” Wolfgang was the first to speak as Aarush left them in their suite. The master bedroom was every bit as exquisite as the lobby on the ground floor. There was a bouquet of roses and a platter of chocolate on the bedside table, and the bed was covered in pillows of all sizes.

 _Oh, shit. The bed_. The four-poster bed was probably the biggest Kala had ever seen. It had a canopy that hung from the ceiling, so the fabric that flowed down on both sides the bed billowed against the breeze of Mumbai air from the open windows. But it was one giant king-sized bed. And Kala’s mind was racing with the many possible scenarios that could happen – _No. Stop it._

She coughed in awkwardness, and looked anywhere but at Wolfgang. “I’m sorry. I had no idea about any of this. This was probably all Nomi’s doing.”

He chuckled, and shook his head. He dropped his bags near the wardrobe, shook off his jacket and looked through the cabinets for something. Kala did not know what. She scrunched her face in confusion when he took out several blankets and started laying them out on the floor in front of the bed.

She stood where she was, not sure how to proceed. “What are you doing?”

“Sleeping on the floor,” he answered simply. He grabbed a few pillows from the bed.

“Why?”

He shrugged, still holding the pillows. “I don’t want to make you feel uncomfortable.”

Her heart started beating fast again. “It’s fine.” She hoped she sounded convincing enough, but the way her voice faltered couldn’t fool anyone. She smoothed her fingers over the soft sheets. “There’s plenty of room for the both of us. And besides,” she made a line of pillows to divide the space in half. “We’re going to be spending the next week together.”

She lay down under the blankets on one side and gestured for him to get on the other. Wolfgang replaced the pillows where he got them from and lay down slowly on top of the sheets. 

Kala didn’t say anything until he shifted to get comfortable. “Might as well get used to it.”


	4. Chapter 4

Kala yawned and stretched the length of her body as she woke up. She could feel the rays of light peeking through the windows and hitting the skin on her arms. There was a slight breeze that cooled the warm sensation and sent chills down her spine. Burying herself into the blankets, she rolled over to the other side of the bed. But she didn't roll very far as her body was stopped by a blockade of pillows.  _Oh, right._

Trying to make as little commotion as possible, she craned her neck over the pillows and expected to see a sleeping Wolfgang. But his side was empty. She lay back down and furrowed her brows, wondering where he went. Her questions were answered when he walked out of the bathroom. He was doing up the buttons of his shirt when their eyes met, and one side of his lips quirked up in a smirk. 

"Good morning," his voice was low and deep. Kala shivered again, but it wasn't from the cold. 

She replied with a small voice, "Good morning." 

He drew the curtains back, and the room was bathed in sunlight. Kala sat up and lifted her arms above her head to stretch properly. The blanket that was covering her fell, but she quickly pulled it back to cover her body. She wrapped it around her torso and secured it under her arms. But she didn't miss the way Wolfgang turned his head to the side, or the way his jaw tightened as he saw a flash of her silk pyjamas.  

She cleared her throat and looked down at her clasped hands. "So," she began.

He pressed his lips together as he turned his body back to face her, but his eyes weren't making contact with hers. "What are we doing today?"

Her head tilted to the side as she breathed deeply. "We, uh," she licked her dry lips and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. He made eye contact with her now. "Well.  _You_  are going to meet my family. They invited us to a late lunch at my father's restaurant." 

Wolfgang nodded, and she continued. "But first, we need to go over a few details about our," she made air quotes, "relationship. I didn't exactly tell them." 

He raised his eyebrows. "Didn't tell them that you were bringing someone?" Then he smirked. "Or didn't tell them that I'm not your real boyfriend?" 

"The second part." He gave her a long-suffering expression, and she sighed. "Actually, both." 

He hummed. "So what are you going to tell them?"

"I don't know,” she mumbled. Then all her thoughts came pouring out at once and she couldn’t stop from blurting out, “I don't even know how to answer their questions!” She ran her hands through her hair wildly, and stared at Wolfgang with wide eyes. “Like, where did we meet? Or how long we've been dating or why haven't I told them about you and I don't even know if they're going to be mad at me or - 

He quickly rushed over to her side, and bent over to cupped her face with both hands as he said with a soothing voice, "Hey. Hey. Breathe." He started breathing deeply, and with a nod, encouraged her to do the same.

She mimicked his actions, and felt a little better. Her thoughts were still wracking her brain. But with Wolfgang’s close proximity, she could smell leather and fresh mint again, and she could see droplets of water that clung on to the skin from his open collar. Her eyes dropped down quickly to his lips and back up to meet his gaze.

Wolfgang tightened his jaw for the second time, and Kala wondered what it would feel like to run her fingers along the stubble on his chiselled line. He let go of her face and stepped back to stand upright. "Sorry."

_What for?_

She didn’t say anything, so he continued, "We met through Will and Riley. That much is true. Let's just stick to that, okay? I'm fine with anything else that you say to them about us."

Kala’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Are you sure?” Her steady breathing increasingly got laboured, and the voice in the back of her head spoke again. “But what if they see through it? Or what if they ask something and both of us give totally different answers and I can't _believe_ we're actually doing this. Why did I let Will and Riley do this? Wait no, was it Sun and Nomi? Lito and Hernando?" 

She gasped, “Maybe it was me.” Her eyes met Wolfgang’s again, and he _actually_ looked like he was smiling. _He thinks this is funny?_

She shook her head and pursed her lips to keep the scream from coming out. Her voice was getting louder. “You know what? It doesn’t matter whose idea it was. I don't know what I was thinking. We can’t _possibly_ -  

Wolfgang moved closer to her, so she put her hands out to place some distance between them. She knew what he was going to say. "Right, yes. Breathe."

When her breathing finally settled, and she felt somewhat pacified, she saw Wolfgang’s shoulders drop in relief. "Don't worry.” The smile he gave her was sure, unlike the doubtful one on her face. “I'll make it believable. What are fake dates for, right?"

She nodded slowly as she released a breath. She lay back down on the bed and threw the sheets over her face. With a small voice, she said, “Thank you, Wolfgang."

  
...

  
They both got out of the hotel service car and walked to a very familiar building. At least, to Kala it was. The narrow two-storey building looked old with its faded ivory pillars, and a banner that read ‘Dandekar’s Restaurant’ which hung above the door had visible rips in the fabric. But she knew inside it was home, and it was perfect.

She stopped walking when she realised Wolfgang was a few steps behind her, patting his body through his clothes. “I think I left my wallet in the car. Do you mind if I check quickly? I’ll be right back.”

“Okay.”

She narrowed her eyes, trying to look past the brightness of the sun as she stared up at the windows of the building’s second floor. There was a figure leaning over the windowsill, and when they turned just so, Kala waved both her hands high in the air to get their attention.

“Daya!" 

She beamed when the figure gasped out loud and yelled, “Kala! Kala, oh my god!” They looked behind them, and Kala could hear a faint, “Ma, Pa, she’s here!” The figure leaned over again and shouted, “We’re coming downstairs! Stay there!”

Kala shook her head fondly and chuckled. At the same time that Daya and her parents were making their way outside, Wolfgang walked up beside her. “Did you find it?”

He nodded. "Yeah, it was in my pocket the whole time.” 

She took a deep breath and held out her hand to him with a shy smile. “Here we go." 

He laced their fingers together, and she felt the warmth of his hands and the fast beating of his pulse that belied his calm exterior. "After you." 

They walked the few steps towards the entrance of the restaurant, when three people scurried out the doors. Daya was the first to exclaim, “Kala, you look even more stunning than the last time we saw you!” But at the sight of the man next to her sister, she went silent, choosing instead to peer curiously at Kala’s companion.

Kala blushed, but before she could respond, her father’s voice cut through. "And who is this?" 

There was no malice in the question, but Kala froze momentarily. She opened her mouth to say something but the words wouldn’t come out. "Um." She felt Wolfgang squeeze the hand in his hold before he let go of it, extending his palm out to her father.

"Wolfgang Bogdanow.” Their handshake was firm, and she noted the impressed look on her father’s face. “It's nice to meet you, Mr Dandekar."

Kala held her breath as she observed the interaction between them. "Please, my son." _My son? Since when did her father refer to any man he met through his daughters as a son?_ "Call me Sanyam." _Could that be a good sign?_ She let out the breath in relief when her father clapped him on the back in a fatherly manner.

"This is my wife, Priya. And my youngest daughter, Daya." 

They waved shyly at Wolfgang, and he nodded back with a smile. Her father put an arm on Wolfgang’s shoulder and led him through the restaurant. "Come inside and sit down. Let's eat." 

Wolfgang turned his head briefly to look at Kala, and she gave him a subtle nod of encouragement. She looked back at her mother when she finally spoke. "Kala, I'm surprised you didn't tell us about him.”

She sighed. “Ma, I –

"Yeah.” Daya huffed, her lips pouting a little. “But he's really cute."

Her mother looked pointedly at her. “How long have you kept this from us?"

"And does he have any cute friends?" Daya winked at her.

Kala blanched, not having prepared for the onslaught of questions this quickly. _And without Wolfgang here, too._ "Guys, please." She walked silently inside the restaurant and tried not to scream in frustration at the constant questions of Daya and her mother.

  
...

  
"Oh, Kala,” Daya said achingly through a mouthful of food. She gulped it down with a drink of water. “We've missed you so much."

From the seat to her right, Kala nodded, and placed a comforting hand on top of hers. “Me too." She looked between her parents, sat across her on the round table. "I've been trying to make solkhadi to eat with my chapatti, but I always feel like I’m missing ingredients.” She smiled warmly at her father. “It doesn't taste quite like how you make it, Papa."

He chuckled at her. "Wolfgang, are you enjoying the food?"

To Kala’s left, Wolfgang hummed appreciatively with a nod. "It's delicious. I haven’t really tried much Indian food back home."

"Well you’ve come to the right place,” her mother reached across the table and ladled more soup into her bowl. “Sanyam cooks the best Maharashtrian cuisine in the region." She looked at her husband lovingly, and he tried to brush the compliment off with a scoff.

"Priya."

Daya tutted, "Oh, Dad, stop it. Even the mayor said so.” She blew him a kiss. “We’re so proud of you."

Her mother placed her utensils down on either side of her plate. _Uh oh._ "So Kala,” she began.

Kala cleared her throat. “Yes, Ma?”

“How did you two meet?"

_This she knew the answer to._ "Well, we met through Will and Riley. Do you remember them?"

Daya tilted her head to the side. "The DJ with the blue strip in her hair, right? And the police officer?”

“Oh he's so kind,” her mother smiled as she recalled the familiar couple. “You know he sent flowers for your aunt while she was in the hospital?"

Kala shook her head. "I told him months ago she was feeling sick. But I didn't know he sent flowers."

"I hope he and Riley are doing very well." The smile on her mother’s face widened, and Kala could feel her love for Kala’s second family so deeply that she could cry. She chose to smile back instead.

There was a lull in the conversation after that, though it didn't feel uncomfortable at all to Kala. She hoped Wolfgang felt the same, and took a quick peek at him from the corner of her eyes. As if reading her thoughts, Wolfgang turned his head to look at her properly. They shared a secret smile.

The exchange wasn’t lost on the other three people sitting with them. Her mother looked at her knowingly before asking Wolfgang, "What about you, dear? What do you do?"

His eyes stayed on her for a few seconds before he turned to her mother and answered, "My friend and I run a locksmith business together in Berlin."

Kala dipped her head down, in pretence of scooping up the rest of her food into her spoon, but really took the chance to raise her eyebrows slightly at Wolfgang's words.  _Locksmith business. Okay._

Daya’s eyes widened. "Berlin? Germany?” Wolfgang nodded, and Daya sighed incredulously. “Wow, we've never been. What is it like there?"

"At the moment, it's nearing winter. But you should visit during summer. It doesn't rain as much then. I'd be happy to show you around."

"You would?!" She gasped.

He shrugged. "Of course. If you don't mind."

"That would be amazing!” She exclaimed. “Oh, ma, we can go to Germany!"

As her mother talked excitedly about their new travel plans, and possible itineraries with Wolfgang, Daya gestured for Kala to come closer to her.

She whispered into Kala’s ear. “Sis, I like him. You’re good together."

Kala pulled back with a blush on her face, and could do nothing else but nod in agreement.

  
...

  
Just as they cleared the last of the food on their plates, her mother snapped her fingers, like she just remembered something. “Oh, Kala, your father made your favourite dessert.”

“That’s right.” Her father nodded, wiping his mouth with a napkin. “How could I forget? If you’ll excuse me.” He stood up from his chair and slowly made his way to the kitchen.

Kala looked at her father’s frame with a small frown. _Why hasn’t he asked Wolfgang anything? Why isn’t he giving him a hard time, like he did to Daya’s boyfriend? Should she go to him?_

She took a deep breath and looked at Wolfgang, who was listening attentively to her mother and Daya. He stretched his neck to the side and their gazes met, and Kala tried to communicate her thoughts to him with questioning eyes. He gave her an encouraging nod, and that was enough for her to stand up. "I'll help, Papa.” She called out.

Once she reached the kitchen, she started grabbing bowls from the cabinets on top of the sink. Her father’s back was facing her as he took the dessert out from the refrigerator. "You're not saying much."

He turned to her. "What else is there to say?" He smiled warmly. "You both look very happy together. That is all a father could hope for his children."

Kala’s grip on the bowls tightened, and she stacked it neatly in front of her before asking, "You're not angry?"

He looked slightly confused, and tilted his head to the side as he regarded her. "My dear, why would I be angry?" 

"Because.” She swallowed, and continued. "Because he's not..."

Her father said nothing, and gestured for her to keep going. She took a deep breath. "Because he's not what you would have wanted for me.” _Because he’s not an Indian man from a wealthy family._ “I didn't want to disappoint you. Or Mama.” _Because instead of agreeing to marry Rajan, I chose to bring back a stranger I’ve only met yesterday to be my boyfriend._ She looked down as she admitted the fear that gripped her stomach tightly. “I didn't want to disappoint any of you."

"Kala, is that why you haven't said anything to us?"

"Yes, Papa." _Among other things._

She steeled herself for the worst. She closed her eyes and held her breath, but she opened her eyes and sighed when her father said, "Kala. You are one of the joys of my life, and your mother's too. Your happiness is all that we want. And the same goes for Daya."

"I –” she looked down at her feet. “I thought you wanted me to have a good degree, and a successful career."

"And what good is getting your degree if you're not proud with the life that you've made for yourself, hm?" He placed the dessert down on the kitchen counter and pulled her into his arms. She bit her lip to keep from sobbing at his acceptance of Wolfgang (despite Kala knowing not so deep down inside that it was all a lie) and warmth to it all.

He rubbed her back comfortingly. "Kala. As long as you are content with the life that you have, and you are sure about the choices you've made, you will never have to feel ashamed of it, okay?" He pushed her back and kissed her forehead. "We will never be disappointed in you."

Her voice was thick, and she was so very close to crying as she asked, "How do you know?" 

"Because you are our daughter.” He said resolutely. “And whatever obstacle you encounter, we will get through it as a family."

She wasn't sure how her family could recover from her lying about being in a relationship. _All for what? So her ex-boyfriend-and-work-boss’ fiancée could stop tormenting her and move on?_ Her teeth worried her bottom lip, and she probably looked very disconcerted and lost, because her father’s next words sounded promising.

"Besides, from what I can see so far, there's nothing to worry about." He pinched her nose, and she scrunched it with a small laugh. "I have a feeling you will be very happy with your Wolfgang Bogdanow." Her laugh died and she looked at him seriously.

It was another few moments before he continued, "And that is enough for an old man like me."

She furiously blinked back tears as she embraced him tightly. "Papa, you're hardly old,” she sniffed.

He laughed. "Come, my dear. It's time to serve dessert."


	5. Chapter 5

Kala and Wolfgang had a few more days before to themselves before the rehearsal dinner and the actual wedding that will take place over the weekend. She took him to some of her favourite places in her beloved Mumbai, and though she didn’t really know why ( _because why should her fake boyfriend even be concerned with such intimate details of her life?_ ), she wanted him to understand her world a little better. Just as she wanted to know more about his.

  
…

  
They went to the markets first.

“I used to come here with Ma all the time,” she sighed wistfully. Wolfgang hummed as he observed the stir of the crowded market, housed under one massive building. It was a vision of organised chaos. There were lines of stalls that stretched out endlessly, and each shopkeeper was yelling out to passing potential customers, showcasing their items in hopes of attracting people to stop and enter their stall.

The buzzing energy of the market was infectious. At one stall, Kala was laughing in pure joy as the shopkeeper wrapped a generous deep red fabric with gold trim around her small frame. The lady twirled her around and they danced with abandon, and when Kala beamed at Wolfgang, he shook his head at her fondly. As she was getting money from her purse to pay for the sari, a woman rudely bumped into her, nearly knocking her over. Wolfgang caught her with ease, and steadied her to her feet with his arms still holding her to him.

She pulled away slowly to pay the lady and take her purchases, smiling up at Wolfgang as she pulled him again to keep walking.

She tugged on his arm excitedly. “Oh, that’s new!” She pointed at the strip of stalls at the far end of the building. She looked at Wolfgang, a little guilty that she was dragging him around with her. But there was no indication on his face that he was annoyed with it, whatsoever.

He nudged her shoulder playfully with his, and that eased her worries a little. “Do you want to have a look?”

“Yes, please.”

He didn’t seem to mind her being in awe of the endless gold and silver that reflected under the fluorescent lighting that hung above each stall. Kala smiled when he would point out things he liked, or when one of his palms rested on her waist as he inclined forward to inspect the items better.

They were at another stall, smaller than all the other ones that surrounded it. Wolfgang’s arms ghosted at her sides, and Kala shivered at the heat that radiated from his body. He stood behind her, ready to catch her should someone bump into her again. She didn’t think he needed to press his chest closer to her back, but she said nothing. She leaned forward to peruse through the piles and rows of jewellery. Her eyes settled on a pair of teardrop shaped earrings. They were a rosy hue of gold and had filigree cut outs in the middle that looked like lace. It was nothing like the jewellery she was used to wearing. She preferred small studs, which were appropriate for work, and wouldn’t cause a nuisance when she’s running around in the laboratory. But she couldn’t help staring at it, and she lightly touched the detailing with a careful finger.

“ _Can I get you anything, dear?_ ” The shopkeeper asked in rapid Marathi.

She straightened up and pointed at the earrings. “ _How much for these?_ ”

“ _Fifty rupee for you._ ”

The price was very reasonable to her, so she didn’t bother to bargain with him. “Here you go.” She handed him the exact amount, and he placed the earrings in a small box before passing it to her.

“Thank you.” The shopkeeper placed his hands together and bowed to her gratefully.

Kala bowed back with a smile on her face, and asked if she could wear them now. He said yes, with one hand motioning for her to put them on and, with his other hand, pulled back some fabric draped over his stall to reveal a small hanging mirror. She carefully put the earrings on, tilting her head side to side to test the weight of them.

The shopkeeper clapped in delight as Kala inspected her reflection. “Beautiful!” He looked at Wolfgang with smiling eyes and gestured with exaggeration at Kala, who was trying to hide her giggle behind the hands that covered her mouth.

“Yes?” He nodded at Wolfgang, and turned back to Kala.

She peered up at Wolfgang curiously, and showed him the intricate detailing of the earrings. He smiled down at her. “Yes.”

She dipped her head down and let the curtain of her curls hide the blush forming on her cheeks.

  
…

  
The next day, they walked around a busy strip, sipping on a cup of mango lassi that Kala bought for the two of them. The ice cooled down the sweat from the Mumbai heat, as well as the smoke from open grills lined up on the sidewalk. The smell of burning wood and grilled meats made their mouths water.

They passed by a lone man in his cart, under the shade of his umbrella. He stood over a giant round pot, holding a long skimmer in each hand, and swirled a giant piece of breaded fish around the hot oil. He plated it up and poured a multitude of coloured sauces over it, then handed it to an eager customer.

It was another few minutes of walking around and smelling the different foods on offer (from _hmm_ , onions fried in butter, to pickled mangoes, to the decadent smell of melting chocolate) before Kala stopped them in front of an actual shop.

She pointed to the people inside kneading dough with ease of practiced skill. “Don’t tell my father, but this is one of the best chapatti places in the city,” she whispered conspiratorially into his ear.

He chuckled as he looked into the store window. Displayed with the chapatti were bowls of different curries and dips, and he clutched his stomach in hunger. Kala laughed and they both entered the shop. She ordered in Hindi, and when they received their tray of food, Wolfgang’s eyes widened at the amount of bowls of curry that was placed on their table. The waiter came back and dropped a stack of freshly cooked chapatti in the middle.

Kala wasted no time grabbing a piece and tearing it to small pieces. “Oh, you should try this!” She dipped one piece into a bowl with red soup and stretched her hand to his mouth. Wolfgang paused for a few moments as he regarded her. Then, her eyes darkened when he leaned across the table and ate it straight from her fingers. She pulled her hand back and cleared her throat.

“Good?” She almost couldn’t recognise her voice.

He nodded slowly, and they spent the rest of their time in silence as they finished their meal.

They walked around idly for the rest of the afternoon, and occasionally stopped to sit down when they felt a little tired. Kala left Wolfgang while she ducked quickly into a small shop, and came out with a steaming cup in her hands.

She chuckled at the puzzled smile on Wolfgang’s face. “I know it’s hot out, but have you had chai tea? It’s my favourite drink. I can’t function without it.”

He shook his head and leaned back on the chair. “I don’t think so.”

“What?!” She tried not to comment on the way his eyes rolled at her shock. “You have to try it! Oh my god, Wolfgang.” She handed him the cup, and watched him take a sip.

She was satisfied when he said he liked it, that it wasn’t too sweet. And she beamed when he said he would consider swapping out his black coffee for it. After passing by a few more food stalls, they agreed to call it a day and retreat back to their hotel.

On the way to the taxi rank though, a familiar smell drew her to a small cart. She missed the smile on Wolfgang’s face as she clapped happily and ordered a serving. She kept her attention on the woman making her food.

“I used to have these all the time!” She took the small plate of gulab jamun from the woman’s hands, and explained to Wolfgang as he stood behind her, that it was deep fried milk batter shaped into small balls, saturated in rose water syrup. 

She hummed appreciatively. “Just as delicious as I remember.” She held out the plate to him, and he reached from behind to take one.

She ate another one before she turned to ask him what he thought about the dessert. She was still licking the residual sticky syrup from her fingers when she looked up at him, but he was already staring at her. His expression was one she couldn’t place, and his jaw was clenched tightly. She could only describe the look as _intense_.

She blinked, suddenly conscious of herself. “What? Do I have something on my face?”

Her heart started beating a little faster when he licked his lips almost absentmindedly, and he shook his head. “No. Nothing.”

  
…

  
The full-day nature trek Kala asked the hotel to organise for them definitely helped ease the fullness of their stomachs from their extravagant food trip the day before. They had to wake up a few hours before dawn to get ready (Kala stayed in bed a little longer after she woke up, much to Wolfgang’s amusement), and meet the guide as well as a few other trekkers at a designated area.

The drive to the base of the trek was smoother than it used to be. Kala remembered going up winding roads in their old (but still perfectly functional) car, the engine and the wheels doing their best to take Kala and her family through unsealed roads and the occasional deep pothole. When they reached the site, she was glad that it remained the same. A picturesque view of tall greenery; the beginnings of sunrise turned the sky into a gradient from blue to pink.

It was still early in the morning, so no one in the group except for the guides talked during their trek. Kala let the sounds of shoes crunching on rocks and gravel fill the silence. She held on to the straps on the small backpack she carried as she walked, humming softly to a lullaby her mother used to sing when she was a child. She turned to Wolfgang, who was a few steps behind her, and was panting heavily. He looked as if he was struggling. Actually, the rest of the group trailed behind them were panting heavily. She grinned, exhilarated. 

“You did these trails when you were little?” He asked disbelievingly.

“Yes,” she panted, getting a little tired herself. _They were almost there._ “But that was a long time ago.”

Once they reached the flat of the cliff’s top, Wolfgang dropped unceremoniously to the ground. “Why did you like going here?”

She sat beside him and pointed to the horizon. “Look!” The rest of the group were in awe of the magnificent sunrise, and some were taking photos of the scene in front of them to capture its beauty.

After soaking in the first rays of the day, the group continued to walk down the cliff. They stopped periodically to listen to the calls of the wildlife that inhabited the forest.

They reached the second base of the trek around noon, and the guides set up a simple lunch for the group next to a flowing river.

Kala and Wolfgang broke off from the others to silently walk around the area. He listened to her attentively as she reminisced her childhood: when the area used to allow overnight camping, her and her family would stay down here. She pointed at a patch of bare land surrounded by small rocks, with a pile of wood not far from it. She recalled when her and Daya helped their mother clean the fish their father caught fresh from the river, and they would huddle around the campfire singing songs from their favourite movies as the scent of curry spices from the makeshift stove enveloped them.

It was a while before the guides gathered everyone and yelled, “Okay! Time to head back to the first site.”

The sun was beating down on their backs relentlessly as they retraced their steps back to the base. Wolfgang, to his credit, seemed invigorated this time, whereas Kala felt like her legs could give in at any second now.

“How are you doing?” He asked once they reached the parked vans where they left them this morning.

She glared at him, extremely unamused by the question. He knew exactly how she was doing, though he still laughed at her expression.

“That was fun.” He said as his laughter died down to a chuckle.

She smiled back. “It was.” Her tongue stuck out at him teasingly. “Aren’t I the best girlfriend ever?” They both stared at each other with wide eyes as her words sank into their minds. 

She opened her mouth again to clarify what she said ( _how though? Can she take that back? God, now she did it_ ) but the words trailed off, and she coughed at the awkward tension that now surrounded them. _Why did she say that?_ _Does she even think before she speaks sometimes? Oh god._ She was the first to turn away. “Um. I’ll just –

She walked past him and got in the car with the rest of the group.   
  
…

  
Kala was lounging around in her pyjamas, a fluffy hotel bathrobe wrapped around her as she lay on her side of the bed scrolling through her phone. Wolfgang was in the bathroom, and when he came out, it reminded her of their first morning in the hotel only a mere few days ago. She inhaled sharply as their gazes met, when deep brown connected with bright blue.

He was looking at her with such intensity that she had to turn away from him. Instead, she concentrated on the grumbling of her stomach. “Where do you want to have dinner?”

He shrugged casually, as if to say he didn’t mind where, and looked at the open window behind her. There was heaviness in his voice as he said, “I don’t know. Want to walk around and look for restaurants?”

She paid it no mind, and nodded as she got up from the bed. “Sure. Just let me get changed.”

They walked in silence. About ten minutes in, Kala realised she had no idea where they were going, but Wolfgang seemed to know, because he was walking leisurely with a small smile on his lips. She raised one eyebrow in question. He only winked back, the smile breaking into a wide grin.

She ran an impatient hand through her curls as they now walked down the pier. Another ten minutes passed. Her eyes shifted nervously when she didn’t see any restaurants at all. “Where are we going?”

She looked at him pointedly when he said nothing. “Wolfgang.”

He walked faster. She followed him as he walked up a ramp leading into a yacht. There was a man wearing a pressed suit stood at the threshold, who nodded at them as they came closer. “Mr Bogdanow? Right this way.”

The man walked ahead, but Kala tugged on Wolfgang’s hand and pulled him closer to her.

“What’s this?” Her eyes widened as she put the pieces together. “A cruise?!” She gasped, a little taken aback.

He shrugged nonchalantly. But she heard the catch in his voice as he said, “Just for the two of us.” He cleared his throat. “If, uh, that’s okay with you.”

“Wolfgang,” her voice was thick, and her vision was getting blurry with tears gathering in her eyes. “You really didn’t have to.”

“It’s the least I could do.” He shrugged again. “You’ve planned so much in the past few days.”

“Hardly,” she said with a small voice.

She stepped onto the polished wooden deck, where the white trims and detailing gave the yacht a rustic, yet contemporary feel. In the middle of the yacht was a table covered in a white tablecloth, with two chairs on either side. There were bouquets of roses everywhere, and Kala inhaled the sweet scent as it mingled with the fresh and salty smell of seawater. She found the combination appealing. 

“Oh, this is wonderful!” She exclaimed as she sat down. The table was laden with small platters of food, and two glasses of champagne were already filled for them. “Wolfgang, thank you so much.”

He sat down opposite her and opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by the man who ushered them in. Kala tried not to laugh at the glare on Wolfgang’s face.

The man didn’t notice. “Ma’am. Sir. Welcome aboard the _Darling_ on this fine evening.” He held his hand out to the horizon. “Dinner will be served in fifteen minutes. In the meantime, please enjoy the complimentary champagne and the hors d’oeuvres as we slowly sail around the harbour.” With a small bow, he left them. 

Kala beamed when she felt the engine move the yacht forward. She pulled her chair closer to the table and looked at the selection of food. She picked a mini quiche and _wow, it was good_. She gave Wolfgang an enthusiastic thumb up as she popped another one in her mouth.

With a smile, he raised his glass in a silent toast. She clinked their glasses together and sipped happily on her champagne. She moved her head to the side and gazed at the Arabian Sea, its waters glimmering under the pale moonlight. The sea breeze blew softly, and made her curls whip across her face. Wolfgang chuckled at her as she tucked the chunks of hair behind her ear with her free hand. The sound came deep from his chest, and it reverberated throughout her body. She bit her lip shyly. The stars shone brilliantly against the dark sky, and the lights emanating from the Mumbai skyline seemed dim due to their far distance from the shore.

Struck by a sudden realisation, Kala froze. She placed her champagne glass down and opted to toy with the stem of the glass, while Wolfgang continued to pick at the appetizers in the middle of the table. Her lips tightened in a straight line as she looked at him, and back at the scenery around them. As the yacht slowly rocked against the tides, and the faint sounds of birds singing to their flock as they flew across the sea, all this combined with the ambiance of the soft yellow light from the candles on the table reminded Kala of something from a romantic movie.

She swallowed back the lump in her throat. It was a painful reminder of what she did not have, and what she was pretending to have with Wolfgang. Her smile fell at the thought.

He seemed to have picked up on her sudden change of emotions, because he placed a tentative hand over her arm.

“Are you sure this is okay?”

She nodded, and tried her best to give him a believable smile. He seemed to have accepted it, because he went back to eating, albeit she noticed him eyeing her from time to time.

_Everything about tonight was perfect._ She sighed. _No. Everything about their past few days together was perfect._ But she can’t bask in the memories. She can’t bask in the moment. She can’t indulge in the beauty of it all – sailing on a yacht, having dinner by candlelight, with Wolfgang sitting across from her looking at her with that smile. The smile that is somehow reserved only for her.

_Because none of it was real._

That thought alone was enough to make her chest constrict a little.

_None of this was real._


	6. Chapter 6

It was the constant buzzing of her phone that woke her up. Kala reached out blindly with one hand, trying to feel for the wooden table by the side of the bed, and snatched her phone with an irritated sigh. She looked at the screen: 9:30 AM and it was filled with notifications of missed calls and messages. All from Daya. She unlocked her phone to read through them.

_Rise and shine, sis! (Received 9:05 AM)_

_I’m having breakfast with Mama and Papa. Should be leaving the house soon (Received 9:16 AM)_

_Kala, I swear if you’re still asleep… (Received 9:23 AM)_

_You know what? I’m going to keep calling and texting until you respond. (Received 9:28 AM)_

Kala rolled her eyes good naturedly as she scrolled through the messages. She typed back a response. 

_Well, good morning to you too. (Delivered 9:32 AM)_

_I just woke up. Thanks for the wake up call (Delivered 9:32 AM)_

Almost immediately, Daya replied, sending several disjointed messages at once.

_Yay! I’ll come by around 10:20ish. (Received 9:34 AM)_

_But we should eat first. Well, you should. But I might still be hungry when I get there. (Received 9:34 AM)_

_Oh my god. How was your date with Wolfgang? (Received 9:35 AM)_

_Or should I say “dates”? (Received 9:35 AM)_

_:) (Received 9:35 AM)_

That brought Kala back to reality. _Wolfgang. Right._ The wave of emotions from last night came crashing on her again, and before she had the time to talk herself out of it, she blurted out to the quiet space. "Can I ask you something?"

It didn’t occur to her that Wolfgang might still be asleep. But she took the chance. In the corner of her mind, she had a feeling he was already awake anyway. It didn’t take him long to answer from his side of the bed.

"Sure." He didn’t sound surprised at the suddenness of her question. Wasn’t even fazed by the fact that she was awake this early (well, early to her – she had always been sleeping in so far) and already so inquisitive. She couldn’t decide if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

"Why did you even agree to this in the first place?" 

Minutes passed by and he hadn’t said anything. She could hear him breathing, and if she concentrated hard enough, she could sense the rise and fall of his chest. It was a little erratic compared to the serene pacing she was used to whenever he was asleep. "Wolfgang."

"I don't know." She could practically see him shrug. "I guess I wanted to know what it's like."

She let out a confused noise. "What do you mean? What it's like to what?"

"To be in a real relationship."

"Oh." She felt a drop in her stomach, and she began to feel nervous. _How? Why?_

“Haven't you ever had that?” She was sure that a man with his charm and confidence would have been involved with more than a few women.

“What do you think?” She could hear the smirk in his voice. When she didn’t answer him, he chuckled. “Yeah, I'm not exactly a relationship kind of guy.”

She supposed that was true. _But why her? Out of all the women he’s been with (and she was sure there were plenty), why her? A complete stranger he only met a few days ago?_ A big part of her didn’t want to know the answer, so she moved on to the question that was wracking her nerves.

Her tongue felt heavy in her mouth as she slowly asked, "Well, what do you think about it so far?"

"Hm?" 

Kala cleared her throat, hoping to clarify the question for him. "How is it like to be dating me?"

She could hear the pounding of her heart in the silence. And she wished for nothing more than to take those words back. _Stupid. Stupid. Stupid._ "Uh, never mind. Um what do you think about going to -

"It's nice."

_What?_ "Nice enough?" She managed to choke out. 

"More than enough." His voice trailed off into a whisper.

"I-uh.” She got up from her bed and walked to the closet, looking around, looking anywhere but at Wolfgang. She was grateful her back was facing him as she frantically tried to look for clothes. “I have to go get ready to meet my sister. Wedding stuff. Important. Things. Yes." She didn’t know if what she was saying made any sense at all. All she could _think_ and _hear_ was Wolfgang.

_He thought dating her was nice? He has never been in a relationship? Wolfgang Bogdanow, with his trademark smirk and all black clothing, thought that being in a fake, untrue, borderline comic relationship with Kala Dandekar was more than nice enough?_

She tried to collect her thoughts, and when she did, she said with a steady voice, "I'll see you this afternoon at the hotel lobby. The car is picking us up at around six for the rehearsal dinner."  


…

   
“So,” Navya drawled out, “this is your date.” She was the first to approach Kala and Wolfgang when they walked into the dining room of the Rasal home. _Naturally_ , Kala wanted to snort. But of course, that _would_ be considered a little rude. 

Kala turned her head to the side and swept her gaze down Wolfgang’s frame before looking back at Navya and snapped, “My _date_ has a name.”

She looked back at Wolfgang again, and she saw his eyebrows shoot up in surprised amusement at her slight outburst. _Oh._ _What was that all about?_ She folded her shoulders in a little to try and disappear, her face twisted into an apologetic smile. _She really hadn’t meant to crack like that._

He set his face back into a neutral expression and stretched his hand out to an expectant Navya. “Wolfgang Bogdanow." 

Navya looked a little impressed as they shook hands. She looked from him and back to Kala before she gave a short hum and went back to her seat. Now that her view wasn’t obscured, she could see the amount of guests seated along the line of connected tables. On the end closest to her sat distant relatives she may have talked to only once or twice, but has definitely seen them at family gatherings. Her own family sat further away from where she was standing, but she didn’t want to interrupt their lively conversation, so she stayed where she was.

With a smug look on his face, Wolfgang walked over to a waving Rajan at the far end of the long table, and sat across from the bride and groom to be. Kala was taken aback at how animated their conversation was, though of course, Wolfgang preferred to listen than talk. He seemed to be responding to Rajan, though. And Kala was also pleased that Wolfgang was being acquainted with her relatives as well, given the overwhelmingly positive response from her family when they first met him.

She was about to take her seat next to him when someone tugged lightly on her arm. She turned and smiled at her Auntie. “Oh my, he’s very handsome.” She gushed, and Kala meekly smiled in response.

Another woman approached them and asked with a considerate look on her face. “Kala, where have you been hiding him?”

  
…

  
They had torn through the appetizers contentedly, with the guests constantly praising her father for providing the food for tonight’s celebration. Kala beamed at the humbled smile on his face, and it widened even more when her father returned the toast that Wolfgang silently offered from across the table.

Now, it was the main course.

Sat in front of her, Rajan smiled at her warmly, and even threw her an amused wink. “It’s nice to finally put a name and a face to your mysterious date, Kala.” He nodded at Wolfgang, and he repeated the gesture in kind.

Navya’s eyebrow quirked up as she stared at the two of them, and she said dryly, “Yes, you’ve certainly had us wondering about him.” She had a smirk on her face now. “I thought for sure you just made him up.”

Kala folded her hands on the edge of the table. “Is it so hard to conceive the very idea of me being in a relationship?” She hoped the sickly sweet voice she put on was enough to deter from the harshness of her words.

_Apparently it wasn’t._ “Oh, honey, I didn’t mean it like that.” Navya directed her the conversation on Wolfgang instead. “She works so much. I’ve never actually seen her outside of the laboratory. Much less with a man.”

Where he sat to her left, Kala felt Wolfgang’s arm sling casually over her chair and around her body, pulling her slightly into his chest. He said firmly, “I’m proud of her, and what she does.” Then his mouth dipped to whisper into her ear, “Besides, I think it’s sexy when you talk about work.” Kala could hear the grin in his voice as he buried his face in her hair.

“Wolfgang,” she scolded him. But the heat was already rising to her cheeks and she felt hot all of a sudden. He only chuckled at her embarrassment, and Kala thought she felt his lips press a kiss on the skin behind her ear.

She blushed even more when she heard the chuckles and harmonious sounds of praise from their half of the table ( _oh aren’t they beautiful together?_ Auntie sighed. _Beyond_ , Daya exclaimed, _when do you think their wedding will be?_ ). She pulled back slightly and kissed his cheek in return. She tried to ignore the way his eyes widened a little in surprise, but couldn’t help the clench in her stomach when he smiled at her.

“I’m sorry.” On the other half of the table, Uncle Purab placed his utensils down carefully and sighed. “Sanyam, you didn’t really approve of this _gora_ for your daughter, did you?”

The room went silent. Kala dipped her head down and drew her hands down from the table to set them on her lap. She bit her lip to keep the tears that sprung in her eyes from falling. _Why did she think it was going to go smoothly?_

Her father’s response was immediate. “And why shouldn’t I?” He motioned to her and Wolfgang. “Kala can make these decisions for herself. She does not need my approval, and she would not have brought Wolfgang back to India if she wasn’t serious about the relationship.”

Her face twisted into a slight grimace, and was glad no one could see her expression. _Not quite accurate._ As if he knew what she was thinking, Wolfgang placed his hand on top of hers, and she turned her palm around to lace her fingers through his tightly.

Uncle Purab sighed again. “But Sanyam. For goodness’ sake. He’s a gora.” He took a fleeting look at Wolfgang and his forehead creased as he said, “And he dresses like a thief.”

No one spoke, but Kala could feel the shifting eyes of her family between her, Wolfgang, and Uncle. She felt suffocated. Uncle opened his mouth to speak again. “What of Kala’s morals? Her values? Surely you don’t want her to be tainted by that.”

Her father leaned over slightly to look Uncle better in the eye. “And our culture also dictates that marriage is a sacred union between two people. But you just divorced your wife recently for a younger woman, didn’t you? It’s a little hypocritical to be using our cultural values as a framework for foreigners when you yourself go against it.”

He only huffed, and leaned back on his chair with arms crossed and a fierce scowl.

Her father looked at her with sad eyes, almost saying, _I’m sorry_. Kala gave him a sad smile.

Rajan cleared his throat awkwardly and interjected, “Navya’s not Hindu, but we are getting married.” He turned to Navya and cupped her cheek with one hand, stroking her skin tenderly.

“Yes, Rajan,” Uncle Purab said patronisingly, almost as if he were talking to a child. He raised his hand and pointed at Navya. “But at least she’s Indian.”

In the seat next to him, an older man Kala did not recognise nodded in agreement. “And from a good family at that.”

Kala resisted rolling her eyes.

The man turned his gaze to Wolfgang. His stare was hard, though Kala could see beads of sweat forming on his temple. He was nervous, too. “You’re a Bogdanow, did you say? Related to _Sergei_ Bogdanow?”

She didn’t miss the disdain in his voice as he spat that out.

Wolfgang gritted his teeth. Though he had a small smirk on his face as he replied, “He was my uncle." 

“My family tried to make business with him in Germany many years ago. Thank God we didn’t.” He wiped his mouth with a napkin. “Your father was Anton Bogdanow, then?”

The smirk on Wolfgang’s face dropped, and his lips were pressed into a thin line. “Yes.”

His hand was still warm in hers, but she could feel his body shake with anger. She squeezed his hands weakly. _Not now._ But he didn’t seem to register it.

The man kept talking, almost pleased with the reaction he was getting from Wolfgang. “Just as loathsome as Sergei, Anton was.” He shrugged. “Rest their souls, of course.” He said offhandedly, with a casual tone that implied it was a mere afterthought.

He regarded Wolfgang for a few moments before saying, “You remind me of him.”

Kala held her breath as Wolfgang looked down at their laced fingers. When he looked back up at the man, his eyes were murderous, and Kala could see for the first time the pain he was reliving. “I’m nothing like my father.”

“Tempestuous, a sharp tongue, and broody. You are your father’s son. It is only a matter of time until you suffer the same damnation they did.” Kala’s jaw dropped, as did everyone else’s at the table. “Mixing business with gangs and criminality.” He tutted in disapproval. “What kind of life are you offering Kala? Should we be worried for her safety being involved with you and your family?”

“Your problem is with me. She has nothing to do with any of this.” Wolfgang growled menacingly, “Don’t you dare –

She placed her other hand on top of their clasped ones and he immediately stopped, his head turning to her in question. Her eyes were wide as she hoped to communicate a simple message. _Calm down. Please._ She silently cheered when he inhaled and breathed out deeply, his shoulders slightly slumped like he had given up. She thought she might have seen him nod in acquiescence.

Kala squeezed their hands together one more time before she turned to the source of it all. “Uncle, I think we’ve heard enough. There’s no need to continue dissecting every aspect of my boyfriend’s life the night before your nephew’s wedding.”

For the first time since he started talking, the man was stunned into silence. He sputtered out a poor, “Kala, dear, I’m sorry to upset you.” At least he had the decency to look somewhat sincere. “But you should know: once a Bogdanow, always a Bogdanow.” He sneered at Wolfgang once more, and she couldn’t take it anymore.

She pushed her chair back and stood up, trying to ignore the concerned look on her family’s faces. “It’s getting late. We should get going.” She nodded at Wolfgang, who stood up as well. “Thank you for inviting us. We will see you tomorrow.”

“But the dinner’s just started.” The softness of her Aunt’s voice was a relief after the rigid and harsh tones of her Uncles. Kala could almost cry at her kindness.

She shook her head apologetically. “I’m sorry, Auntie. Good night.”  
 

…

  
They got ready for bed in silence, and their bodies manoeuvred around each other so that they were always more than a few steps apart. Kala’s heart clenched tightly at the distance between them, though she berated herself loudly (or as loud as she could in her head) for being so used to his warm presence. _Why was he so warm?_

Once they settled into their sides of the bed, she let her mind process what had just happened at the rehearsal dinner. She was flat on her back, hands clasped on top of her stomach. This was how she slept most of the time, when she’s most relaxed, but tonight she couldn’t seem to calm herself down. Her uncle’s voice was jarring as his words rang through her head, and the look on Wolfgang’s face (that she only ever knew to have smiles and that damn smirk) – that empty look on his face – kept flashing before her eyes every time she blinked.

She could feel her stomach bubbling up in anger. But for the life of her, she couldn’t understand one thing. “Why aren't you more angry?”

“What do you mean?”

She scoffed at his words. She could _feel_ the emotions seeping out from him, and it settled deep into her bones. “They said horrible things about you. About your family.”

She wasn’t prepared for his response. “But it’s true. All of what they said is true.”

Her features scrunched into pure confusion. _How could it be true? When all he made her feel was safe? And cared for?_ There was lightness in him that he refused to see, and she was sick with rage and despair in hearing him like this. So vulnerable and open. And expectant of rejection.

_Rejection from her._

“You shouldn’t be getting involved with someone like me. Even if it’s pretend.”

_Even if it’s pretend._ Her chest ached at his words, and she felt even more sick.

“I think it’s best if after this is all done, you tell them that we –

She found that she couldn’t bear to hear the rest of his words. Because she knew exactly what he was going to say. “Wolfgang,” she pleaded.

Perhaps he didn’t want to say the words out loud either, because he went quiet, and just breathed deeply instead.

All at once, several voices in her head starting yelling over each other. Though she couldn’t do anything but listen. Listen to how _Wolfgang really isn’t the best choice, so why keep pushing this?_ Listen to _you don’t know him at all. Maybe you should slow down first?_ Listen to _maybe if you get rid of the pillows in the middle, you could slide closer and press your lips against his and_ – _okay_ , Kala definitely pushed that to the recessives of her mind. _Definitely not the time._

But one voice stood out from the rest. “Wolfgang, it doesn't change anything. I don't think any less of you.”

“Why not?” He sounded even more tired than she did. The exasperated sigh he let out, and the sound of his arm weakly punching the headboard, gave her the courage to speak.

The heaviness of her next words, and the implication it implied for the both of them, was not lost on her. She was fully aware that this could jeopardise the façade they have so carefully built for this week. She was aware of the possibility of him pushing her away. She was aware of the darkness that threatens to consume him, and she was more than aware that he would allow it, if only to spare everyone else around him.

But somewhere deep inside, she also knew that he felt that gravitational _pull_ when they first met.

That no matter how far they were from each other, they would always find themselves _drawn_ to one another.

That everything felt _right_ , and exactly where everything was supposed to be, whenever they were together.

So she closed her eyes, swallowed back the lump in her throat, and licked her lips before she spoke. The emptiness of the room only served to amplify her low whisper. “Because I don't think I could feel this way about you if I thought you were a bad person.” 

She heard him inhale sharply, though he didn’t say anything in response. 

Kala didn’t know how long they spent lying there, enveloped by sheets and letting the constant sounds of Mumbai life consume their thoughts.

She slowly succumbed to sleep, her breathing becoming even and her thoughts dissipating into nothingness. Wolfgang’s voice cut through the silence. “And what do you feel?”

She thought she heard something akin to desperation in those five words. But she couldn’t tell for sure. The bed dipped slightly as she felt him shuffle on his side. Whether or not he was facing her, she wouldn’t know. _The pillows would be blocking it, anyway._ She tried to flutter her eyes open, but her eyelids were too heavy and her limbs were too stiff to even move.

She breathed deeply, and the rush of oxygen lulled her back into that state of relaxation. Her limbs were now loosened, and the weight of her body sank into the mattress comfortably. _She could sleep here forever._

“Kala?” His voice was a distant echo now, but she let her lips soften into a smile as she let the sound chime in her head.

_Wolfgang_ , she thought. And she finally lapsed into sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

“Ugh,” Kala groaned as she sat up on the bed. “I don't feel too well.” She leaned back against the headboard and shut her eyes as the rays of sun shone brightly through the open windows. The pulsing of her head was almost unbearable. She whined softly.

“Drink this.” She opened her eyes to see Wolfgang’s outstretched hands, two pills in the centre of one palm and a glass of water gripped in the other. “You'll feel better later.”

She took it from his hands and gratefully swallowed back the pills. He waited for her to finish drinking and set the empty glass on her bedside table.

He nodded at her as she leaned back against the headboard once more. “I'm just going to take a shower, okay? Then I'll draw you a bath afterwards.” He walked towards the closet to grab a change of clothes.

_A warm bath._ Kala hummed. _That was what she needed right now._ But why can't they take a bath together? There was silence in the room, and Kala opened her eyes in panic. “Did I just say that out loud?" 

Wolfgang looked at her for a few seconds before he turned around to face the wardrobe. He cleared his throat awkwardly before muttering, “Say what?”

He grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled it off smoothly, the muscles on his arms and back tensed with the motion. Kala’s eyes traced the contours of his back, all the way down to the two dimples just above –

_Get over yourself._ “Nothing.” She said shyly. “A bath sounds nice.”  
  


...

  
She let the sound of the water hitting the marbled floors of the shower calm her down. _Yesterday was…what would Nomi call it? A shitshow._ She chuckled softly to herself, though there was nothing funny about last night at all.

As if on cue, her laptop (which she had brought along to check emails and finish off last minute reports for work – and she totally forgot to power it down and just left the screen on after leaving it on charge on the floor) started chiming a tune that indicated an incoming call. She picked up the laptop from the ground and placed it on her bed. She looked at the screen.

_Nomi would like to FaceTime…_

She clicked the green ‘Accept’ button and waited for the connection to load Nomi’s side of the camera. She took the time to observe her reflection. _Damn. She looked –_

“Kala,” Nomi said, surprised at seeing her for the first time in weeks. “Wow. You look like you just got dragged out from hell.” She sounded sympathetic.

Kala pursed her lips into a straight line. “Thanks, Nomi. Hello to you, too.” She massaged her temple with a tired sigh. The pain was subsiding, but it did not fully go away. At least the thumping in her head was gone. “And that’s not an entirely inaccurate statement.”

Nomi leaned even closer to her camera. “What the fuck happened at the rehearsal dinner? We haven’t talked since you left Chicago. You better be taking pictures and show us when you get back.”

She clapped her hands loudly as if she just remembered something important. Kala winced at the sound. “Sorry,” She shrugged, and continued. “Hey, how’s your date? Will told me that he and Riley set you up! Wolfgang, was it? Totally hot name, by the way.”

Kala got out of the bed, and repositioned the laptop screen so the camera displayed a mid-shot of her body. Once she was satisfied with the framing, she stood up straight and paced from left to right, the headache being the last thing on her mind right now. _Where does she even begin?_

Nomi coughed pointedly, which took her out of her reverie. She grimaced at the image of Nomi on the screen. “Well…about that…”

And suddenly, she couldn’t stop talking. All her worries about the farce she calls a relationship with Wolfgang and the complication of realising she has feelings for him ( _yes, Nomi, Wolfgang is very attractive. No, Nomi. We did not hook up. And I may or may not have confessed to him about my feelings last night._ That drew a gasp from Nomi. _Kala! What?!_ ). All her all her fears of her family’s reactions about her (fake) relationship, which manifested at last night’s dinner ( _Kala, your uncle is a total asshole. Don’t listen to him_ ).

Every emotion Kala had carefully bottled up over the week flowed freely in the silent space of the hotel room. Nomi stared at her from the other side of the screen, trying to keep up with what she had to say (though Nomi knew Kala would feel better after all this, so she didn’t dare interrupt her).

She was in the middle of her hysteria, panicking over how she was going to face everyone at the wedding reception this evening – _Oh god, now Navya has even more reason to hate me! I don’t even know why she doesn’t like me. I wasn’t even with Rajan in that capacity and I’ve never done anything to spite her and…oh god, will Uncle Purab and his friend be there and will they continue their speech of hating the Bogdanow family from last night…_ – when Wolfgang stepped out of the bathroom, drying his hair haphazardly with a towel.

“I don't know what temperature you want—” He stopped talking as soon as he saw her. He quickly crossed the distance between them and gathered her into his arms –“hey. Breathe.” He placed one hand on the back of her head and the other pressed against her back. “Breathe.” His fingers sank into her curls and he started massaging her scalp. Kala drew a shaky breath. He waited until her breathing became somewhat normal again. “Calm down. It’s okay.”

He drew back and kissed her softly on the forehead, then returned her head back to its position.

They stood there for an indefinite amount of time: Wolfgang rubbing slow circles from where his hand rested on her back, his other hand running through the length of her hair, while Kala let herself be comforted in his embrace, her headache now gone. He was the first to break the silence. “Are you feeling any better?" 

She spoke with a small voice, “A little. I’m not usually this anxious, you know. Like I have been for the past few days.”

With her face buried in the crook of his shoulder, she couldn’t see the grin on his face. “I know.”

She let out an undignified squeak. “I know you’re probably sick of it. But I promise. I’m almost always level-headed and focused and I don’t let things get to me this badly and—

He chuckled, and kissed her again on the forehead. “It’s okay.”

They stared at each other for another few moments before Wolfgang spoke again. “Look. About the dinner last night.” He sighed with what Kala interpreted as resignation. “I don't care what they say about me. I've heard it all.”

Kala shook her head stubbornly. “That doesn't make it any less wrong,” she breathed as she rested her forehead back on his solid chest.

He hugged her tighter. “I know.”

Silence again. Kala’s eyes drifted close, and the sound of his even breathing and the beat of his heart relaxed her greatly. He chuckled for the second time when she nuzzled to get even closer to his warmth. “Your bath?”

“Yes.”  
  


…

  
Nomi stared with wide eyes and a slack jaw from the other side of the screen as Wolfgang led Kala to the bathroom. She blinked a few times and shook her head in disbelief.

“Okay,” she spoke to an empty room. “Wow.” She stepped out of the frame for a few seconds and returned to her seat. She tapped and scrolled through the screen before impatiently putting the phone against her ear.

A few beats passed by. “Hello?” A pause. “Lito, it’s Nomi. You will not believe what just happened…”

  
…

_  
The wedding was as beautiful and extravagant as Kala knew it would be. The groom’s entrance was energetic: Rajan was escorted with a motorcade as the guests screamed in joy; Navya was carried in a throne-like structure by four men, looking radiant in her red and gold lengha, mehndi swirls and patterns adorning her arms._

_The Rasal family and Kohli family blessed the union of their children, and the priest began what was going to constitute the ceremonies for the next three hours. T_ _he exchange of wedding rings was an additional ceremony that at first garnered puzzled looks exchanged by most of the guests, though Rajan calmly took the microphone from the priest._

_“I-uh,” Rajan cleared his throat. “I know that this isn’t a custom in India. Married men don’t really wear rings. But I wanted to have this ceremony not to abide by the Western traditions of marriage, but because I want to show the world…” He gestured to his bride-to-be with a wide grin on his face. “I wanted to show how completely and utterly devoted I am to this woman. My Navya.”_

_The crowd dissolved into happy sighs and murmurs of happiness for the couple. Kala beamed, and held her hands together, praying to Ganesha to shower them with love and to keep them happy and safe._

_Afterward, Rajan and Navya were in the final ceremony, walking seven times around the sacred fire while their families toss flower petals and rice at them (in celebration, she whispered to a confused Wolfgang)._

_“Oh my god.” Daya sniffed as she cried happy tears when the bride and groom finally kissed as a newly wedded couple. “Is this what your wedding with Wolfgang will be like?”_

_Kala’s eyes widened and she blushed deeply. From the corner of her eyes, she saw Wolfgang’s interest piqued at the mention of his name. Oh, she wanted to sigh in relief, Daya was speaking in Hindi._

_“Daya,” her mother hushed, “be quiet.” At least that was spoken in English._  
  


_..._

  
The reception hall was lively and extremely noisy with people laughing, and shouting, and dancing wherever Kala looked. The feeling of joy was so infectious that despite feeling a little overwhelmed, Kala and Wolfgang allowed themselves to be swept up by the festivities.

Sometime after getting through the bowls and plates of food constantly replaced by the waiters on their table, Wolfgang stood up and said, “I’m going to the bar, do you want a drink?”

Kala would have told him to get two of what he’s getting. But she remembered Will and Riley telling her he likes drinking beer ( _ugh, she was not fond of drinking beer at all. She can picture Will’s laugh as he sips on his own bottle while reading through police reports_ ), she answered, “A glass of sauvignon blanc, please.”

She was happily looking at her surroundings: from the giant chandelier that glowed a soft yellow and set the perfect ambiance to the party, to the bouquets of white roses planted all over the venue, when Daya dropped into the empty seat next to her with a tired sigh.

“Where’s Wolfgang?”

Kala pointed at the general direction of the bar. “Getting us drinks. He’s been gone for a while, though.”

“Can’t blame him.” Daya shrugged, and turned her head to observe the crowded bar. “Look at how many people there are.”

Kala hummed in agreement, not really paying attention.

Daya seemed to be fixated at something, though. “Uh-oh. I’ll be back in a second.” She stood up from the seat and smoothed down the wrinkles of her dress. “Auntie looks like she drank a little too much.”

“Again?” Kala asked, incredulous. _She would have to talk to Auntie about her drinking habits soon._

Daya nodded solemnly. “Yep. Have fun here.”

Kala watched as she walked away, but her attention was diverted when she spotted a flash of blond hair among the patrons at the bar. She smiled to herself as he leaned over the counter to order their drinks. _Finally._

She shifted her eyes slightly to the left, the flash of bright pinks and greens of the woman’s dress contrasted with the muted blues and creams of the men lined up waiting for their drinks. Kala’s eyes narrowed as the woman walked towards Wolfgang, and bumped into him softly, though from her seat, Kala could see that no one bumped her at all.

_Is she serious?_

_No. No way Wolfgang was going to –_

Her stomach dropped as she looked at Wolfgang, who steadied her so easily with one arm, and probably asked her if she was okay. The woman nodded, and spoke a few words – even from her seat, Kala could spot the glint in her eye when she stepped closer to him, throwing her head back as she laughed at something he said. Kala could imagine it now: the trademark smirk on Wolfgang’s face.

Kala ripped her eyes away from the scene and righted herself in her seat. She felt nauseated. She closed her eyes and forced herself to keep the bile from rising to her throat.

_It’s okay, Kala. It’s fine. Everything’s fine. You’re okay._

She must have been chanting that for a few solid minutes. Because the warm hand on her shoulder startled her into opening her eyes, and she heard the familiar sound of Wolfgang’s laugh.

“I didn’t mean to scare you.” He held the wine glass to her, like some kind of peace offering.

She grabbed the drink from him, but couldn’t meet his eyes as she said, “Thank you.” She took a long sip, not bothering to savour the sweet taste of the wine as it hit her tongue.

He sat back down on his seat, and took a big gulp of his own drink. He smacked his lips loudly before putting his right hand over her left in concern.

“Are you –

He didn’t get to finish, however, because the same woman from a few moments ago just sat down next to him. She placed her purse on the table with such commanding force that Kala was surprised the table didn’t break. Wolfgang paid the woman no mind, and continued to smooth his thumb over the back of Kala’s hand. He smiled softly at her, and Kala now found it hard to look away from his eyes, a small smile gracing her own lips.

The other woman cleared her throat to get Wolfgang’s attention. When it became clear he wasn’t indulging her, she ran her manicured nails down the length of his arm. “So.” He turned his head unhurriedly. She smiled at him, and Kala tried to suppress the roll of her eyes. “We didn’t get to finish our conversation earlier.”

“What about it?” Kala’s heart started beating faster when he turned his head back to her, and he turned her palm over in his hand to interlace their fingers together. She placed her other hand on top of their intertwined ones.

_Why was she still here?_

The woman chuckled fondly, “We were so rudely interrupted by the bartender that I didn’t get to show you.”

Wolfgang removed his hand from Kala’s and faced the woman fully. “Show me what?”

“You said you and your friend make keys, right?” She reached carefully into her purse and pulled out something Kala couldn’t see. “These are handmade. Inlaid with ten carat diamonds altogether.” The woman paused, and when she spoke again, her voice was lower, and a little suggestive. “I figured a man like you would appreciate an exotic piece of art like this.”

_Pardon?_ Kala wasn’t sure if the woman was talking about the diamonds anymore. Her palms clenched into fists. _What was happening?_ She placed one hand on her lap and the other reached out to sip slowly on her wine.

Wolfgang, however, seemed genuinely fascinated by the item in his hands. He turned them around and marvelled at the light that refracted from its clear edges. “You’re right. They’re beautiful.”

_Oh._ Kala gulped down the rest of her drink. _Are they now?_  

The other woman laughed sweetly, placing her hand over his forearm, but letting the touch linger. “Oh, Wolfie.”

_Nope. She couldn’t take it anymore._ “His name is Wolfgang.”

The woman, though irritated, managed to look sheepish. “I’m sorry.” She craned her head to look past Wolfgang and faced Kala, whose glare she didn’t bother to cover up. “And you are…?”

Kala saw through her innocent act immediately. _Is this how they’re going to do things? Alright then. Bring it, bitch._ “Kala. His girlfriend.”

She felt a satisfying smirk threatening to rise on her face at the woman’s reaction. “Oh, really?”

“Yes. Really.”

The growl in her voice as she said those words took her aback. _What was wrong with her? Why was she snapping at this random woman? Was it because she’s talking to -_

“Hm.” The woman considered her with a slightly raised eyebrow. “He didn’t say anything about you.” 

_Oh._ Kala felt an entirely different sinking in her stomach. Her chest ached a little as she let the woman’s words resound in her head.

_He didn’t say anything about you. He doesn’t care enough to even say he was at this wedding with you._ That hurt more than Kala would admit. 

The woman probably got the reaction she hoped for, because her smirk deepened. Her next words were even worse, “I’ll go back to my table. But I’ll see you around, _Wolfgang_.”

The heated look in the wink she tossed him before walking away was enough for tears to spring up in Kala’s eyes. She blinked them back furiously, murmured a silent, “I need to get some fresh air,” and walked away from the table as quickly as she could. 

Kala thought she heard him say something, concern dripping from his words, but she couldn’t make herself listen. She thought she heard the sound of a chair scraping against the floor, like it does when someone pushes it back to stand up. But she couldn’t be certain. 

She forced her legs to walk faster. She didn’t know where she was going. All she knew was that she had to get away from Wolfgang. 

_Wolfgang Bogdanow, and his stupid hair, and his stupid blue eyes, and his stupid smirk._

In a moment of clarity, his words from two nights before echoed in her mind. _“I’m not exactly a relationship kind of guy.”_ She pictured again the look on the woman’s face as she stared at Wolfgang hungrily and unashamedly, and the interest in Wolfgang’s voice as he spoke about exotic and beautiful treasures. _“He didn’t say anything about you.”_

_How did she not see this coming?_


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> one more chapter to go! thank you so much for loving this as much as i do! *hugs and kisses*

_Seriously? How did she not see this coming?_

Kala’s legs ached with how fast she was walking. _Or was she jogging?_ It felt as though her limbs had a mind of their own. Her mind was too preoccupied with those dreaded words: _He didn’t say anything about you_. The only sound that kept her from drowning in her thoughts was the clacking of her heels on the tiled floors.

She turned the corner and abruptly stopped when she saw a huge banner hanging from the ceiling. _Congratulations, Mr and Mrs Rasal!_ At least it reminded her of where she was. _The wedding reception. Right. Joyful. Happy. Celebration._

_Then why does it always feel like she could never be happy? Why does it feel like every time she takes a step forward, something always happens to knock her back even further?_

Another set of footsteps followed not too far from behind her. She cursed out loud, the sound coming out of her lips sounding foreign to her ears. _How did she even have the audacity to be angry? It’s not like –_

“Hey.” Wolfgang’s voice, low and deep, snapped out of her inner monologue.

She huffed in frustration. _Why did he even follow her? Shouldn’t he be talking with whatever her name was?_ She doubled her pace, shoving aside the protest of the muscles on her calves from the exertion. She was beginning to feel out of breath, didn’t know how much further she could go on avoiding him.

“Hey.”

There he went again. She ignored him, and walked out the front door of the building ( _finally_ ). She held on to the rails, about to descend the stairs ( _stupid heels_ ), when she felt a wrap grip around her arm. 

“Kala.” 

She stopped. _He had never said her name before. To her face. Out loud._

She gathered whatever strength she had left and turned to him, ripping her arm away from his touch. He stepped away from her, and she was grateful for having space to breathe (she could still smell the lingering leather and fresh mint from him). “Look,” she sighed. “We’re both adults. We can both make our own decisions.” She looked at him properly, and tried not to concentrate on the furrow of his brow, or the way he licked his lips as he was about to say something.

She cut him off with a raise of her finger. “Let me finish.” She waited until he pursed his lips into a straight line and nodded in acceptance of her demand.

“Okay.” She let out a deep breath.

_How was she going to say this? Without making a complete fool of herself? Not that she hadn’t already. She lost count of how many times she’s broken down in front of him, or lost total control of her emotions throughout the week. What else does she have to lose?_

“I know that you and I aren’t really together.” That ache in her chest started again. “I know this is meant to be a fake relationship. And that’s okay.” ( _Was it okay?_ One voice taunted in her head. _Not now, Kala,_ another snapped.) “But you’re supposed to be my date to this wedding. And I would really appreciate it if you could not openly flirt with other women at a very public function like a wedding reception.”

The woman’s voice rang again in her head after she spoke. _He didn’t say anything about you._

The crease in Wolfgang’s forehead deepened. “What?” He sounded confused. “I wasn’t flirting with her.”

She rolled her eyes, and fixed him a glare. “It’s a little inconsiderate.” Her stomach clenched now, too. She was beginning to feel hot, despite the cool breeze tickling her skin. She wanted to bolt down the stairs and go back to her father’s restaurant. “And actually. Now that I think about it, it’s very rude and couldn’t you just wait until I was at least…I don’t know…” she swallowed back the lump in her throat, “…not there?”

Wolfgang shook his head vehemently, as if wanting her to understand. _Understand what? That he’d rather talk with the woman than –_ “I told her I have a girlfriend. Multiple times. She wouldn’t leave me alone.”

Kala’s jaw dropped at his words. She couldn’t comprehend what he was trying to say. It took her a few moments to finally whisper, “You did?”

“Of course I did.” He nodded. Certain, and resolute. “Why wouldn’t I? She asked if I was with anyone, and I said yes. But she completely ignored me.”

She turned her head to the side, staring at the light post that illuminated a small part of the street. “Oh.”

_What else was she supposed to say?_

Thankfully, she didn’t have to. “I didn’t know why you left so quickly. I was worried about you.”

She couldn’t find any other words to say but: “I’m sorry.” 

“It’s alright. I’m sorry, too.”

A grunt of protest escaped her. “You didn’t do anything. It was me.” She sighed. “I was being stupid.” She reached out for him, palms grabbing on to the material of his shirt.

He stepped closer and placed his hands on her shoulders. “No.” He looked into her eyes imploringly. “You weren’t being stupid. Not at all.” He cleared his throat and cast his eyes down as he said, “I, uh, would have done the same.”

“Really?” She bit her tongue afterwards, tried to stomp down the hope bubbling to the surface. 

He lifted his gaze. “Yes.” 

She could see the gears turning in Wolfgang’s head as he stared at her, head slightly tilted to the side. Her stomach tightened again. Although this time it had nothing to do with fear or anxiety. The beating of her heart was so loud that Kala was sure Wolfgang could hear it in the silence.

“You know,” his tone was sly, a wide grin on his face. He tucked flyaway curls behind her ear, and let the palm of his hand cup the back of her neck. “It’s cute when you’re jealous.” His thumb smoothed over the skin absentmindedly. 

She looked down at her feet, cheeks flushed and burning. “I am not.” But her hands tightened their grip on his shirt, creasing the fabric.

He lowered his head to meet her eyes, and she tilted her chin up in defiance. His hand was cupping her cheek now, the amused look on his face was enough to drain the tension out of her. “Do you want to go back?”

She leaned into his touch once more before she pulled away and nodded. “Okay.”

  
…  
  


They walked back to the reception hall, knuckles grazing with each step until Wolfgang intertwined their fingers loosely, like he was giving her a chance to pull away. Kala bit her lip and looked down at the ground with a smile, squeezing their palms together. She thought she heard him exhale, with _relief_ almost. 

It seemed they had just missed the newly wedded couple’s first dance. The crowd cheered loudly, clapping and whistling, as Rajan and Navya kissed in the middle of the open dance floor.

Kala and Wolfgang manoeuvred through the crowd, trying to find their table as the commotion settled. But before they could sit down, Rajan approached them slowly, with a small smile on his face. 

He clapped Wolfgang softly on the shoulder before asking, “May I take Kala for a dance?”

Wolfgang merely shrugged, and turned his head sideways to look at Kala. His expression was blank, but his eyebrow was slightly raised, and she knew what he meant without him saying it. _It’s up to you._

She took a deep breath as she stared back at him for a few moments before taking Rajan’s hand. He led her to the dance floor, not quite on the outside but not in the middle of all the dancing couples. She smiled at the back of Rajan’s head as they walked. _He always did know her so well._

As the opening strings of the song played over the speakers, Rajan took her hand in one of his, resting the other on her waist. She settled her palm on his shoulder. “Congratulations, Rajan. The wedding was beautiful.” She grinned. “I wish you and Navya happiness for the rest of your lives.”

He nodded gratefully. “Thank you.” A pause. Kala steeled herself for the words she knew he was going to say. “It’s been a while.”

She didn’t have to clarify what he was talking about. “Yes,” she swallowed back her nerves. “It has.” _It’s been a while since I’ve seen you outside of work. It’s been a while since we’ve talked properly._

 _It’s been two years since you asked me to marry you._  

She could still remember the stricken look on his face. _I’m sorry. I can’t._

Kala looked at him with teary eyes. “Rajan…”

“I’m sorry about uncle.” He sighed. “What he said about Wolfgang was downright disrespectful. If you noticed, he and Uncle Purab aren’t here.”

Surprised, she blinked back the tears and looked at him with confusion. “You didn’t have to—

He shook his head. “And have two people ruin not just my wedding, but the nights of my guests, too? No. I wouldn’t have that.” His seriousness melted into a soft smile as he said, “It was actually Navya’s suggestion.”

 _Navya?_ “Rajan.” She had to tell him. This animosity with Navya has to come to an end. “There’s something I want to talk to you about. And it concerns your newly wedded wife.” She took a fortifying breath. “I don’t know how to say this—

“You think Navya doesn’t like you,” he said simply. 

Kala scoffed. “Doesn’t like me? I think she absolutely hates me. Wait.” She froze. “How did you know?” 

Rajan shrugged casually, and resumed their swaying. “I’ve always had a feeling that she was uneasy around you. She talked with me last night, after the dinner. She was wondering if I had any doubts about our relationship. Which was ridiculous, because I’ve never loved anyone as I do her.” He craned his head to look for Navya, and smiled softly when his eyes settled on her. Kala followed his gaze. “But I’m glad she shared that with me.” 

Kala smiled, and nodded gently. “That’s good.” 

He kept his eyes on Navya as he spoke, “She knew that at one point, we were seeing each other.” After looking at her for another few moments, he faced Kala again. “She still thought after all this time I was pining after you.” The sad smile etched into Kala’s memory made its way back to Rajan’s face. 

She tightened her grip on his shoulder. “Rajan, I’m sorry. I –

He shook his head. “No, I’m okay.”

The first time he said those words to her was eight months after he proposed. His eyes were downcast and she could hear the catch in his throat when he spoke. He avoided her for a while after that; not going to parties whenever her family was involved and taking as many business trips as he could.

The second time he said those words to her was four months into his courtship with Navya. He coughed uneasily as they stood on either side of the only photocopier in the office. She wanted nothing more than to walk away from the awkwardness, but she knew Rajan had to get used to the fact that they worked together. So she stayed. It became less awkward after that. 

Now, this is the third time he has said those words to her. His shoulders weren’t slumped, his hands weren’t fidgeting, and Kala can see the truth in his eyes.

“I was never angry at you for not loving me back. I was too angry at myself for not noticing it in the first place. I’m the one who should be sorry.”

She didn’t say anything, only nodding in acceptance. They continued swaying to the music for a little while before she broke the silence. “But now you have a woman you love and who loves you back.” She patted his shoulder comfortingly.

“I do,” he had a soft smile on his face.

She smiled back, though something in her chest tugged and she couldn’t understand why. _Was it perhaps bitterness that Rajan found his happiness in Navya, while she resorted to getting a fake –_

“Kala.”

“Yes?” _How could she be thinking of herself right now?_

He was grinning when he said, “You do, too, you know.”

“Hm?” She raised a questioning eyebrow at him.

Rajan gave her a wink, like he knew something she didn’t. The melody of the song faded into an end, and the people around them cheered as a more upbeat tune blasted through the speakers. He let go of her, and said, “Enjoy the rest of your evening.” Then he walked off. 

He left her standing there, speechless and more than a little confused, as he hugged Navya from behind, laughing when she turned in his arms.  
  


…

  
Kala couldn’t shake off the implications of Rajan’s words. _You do, too. She what?_ Walking back to her table, where Wolfgang sat waiting for her, she shook her curiosity off.

She didn’t want to think too much of her conversation with Rajan, choosing instead to be present with the man in front of her.

She held out her arms to him, the grin wide on her face. “Dance with me.”

He blanched, and for the first time since their fake dating thing started, Kala saw Wolfgang blush in embarrassment. The grin on her face widened even more. “I really don’t –

“Please?” She pouted, that adorable look on her face that Daya used to resent whenever Kala asked her a favour ( _you can’t keep making puppy eyes at me, no matter how cute it is. I’m your sister. Of course I would do this for you_ ).

Wolfgang rolled his eyes, but grabbed on to her hands and let her drag him out of his chair anyway. She stuck her tongue out at him, a little giddy that he opened himself up to another new experience with her.

Her arms wound around his neck, one hand toying with the hairs on the nape of his neck. He settled his hands on her hips, thumbs drawing circles on the fabric of her dress.

She slowly led them around in a circle, keeping a steady gaze on his face. She bit her bottom lip when they slowed down to a halt, and just swayed to the music. “See? It’s not that bad.”

He moved his arms up to grip on her waist, and pulled her flush to his chest. “No.” He smiled. “Not that bad.”

She giggled back, which turned into a shriek of laughter when he suddenly dipped her to the ground. “Wolfgang!” She held on firmly to his arms, and continued to laugh when he pulled her upright, laughing along with her.

Their amusement dissipated into something else entirely when their eyes met, and Kala noticed she was panting heavily, just as hard as Wolfgang was, by the sound of him breathing in and breathing out. Her gaze fell to his lips and back up to his eyes, which was now reduced to thin blue rings, the darkness of his pupils overwhelming her.

His arms were still around her, and she gripped him tighter from where she held on to his arms. She craned her neck up, her lips just barely grazing his, and they gasped at the initial contact. Kala pulled back a little, and Wolfgang leaned down to chase her lips, and all she could think was _yes, yes, yes_ –

“Excuse me,” the sound of a woman’s voice forced them to jump apart.

“Fuck,” Wolfgang murmured. He shut his eyes and lifted one hand to pinch the bridge of his nose.

Kala blushed a little as she cleared her throat, and she stepped away from his hold. “Navya.” She tried to settle the wild beating of her heart, but to no avail.

Navya looked between them nervously. “I’m…not interrupting…am I?”

Wolfgang scoffed. “Ye-

“Not at all!” Kala exclaimed, hoping that Navya didn’t notice her obvious attempt to pacify Wolfgang’s irritation. “Congratulations! I hope today was everything you hoped for your wedding.”

It didn’t seem to work, because Navya was smirking at them. But she smiled appreciatively anyway at her words. “Thank you, Kala. It was that and more.” Her lips dropped into a frown as she turned to face Kala properly. “Can we talk for a few minutes?” She looked at Wolfgang briefly and assured him, “We won’t be long, I promise.”

Kala sent Wolfgang an apologetic look over her shoulder as Navya led her away from the noisiness of the hall. He shook his head in amusement, though Kala could feel his frustration at being interrupted for the third time tonight. She felt the same.

But she knew she had to have this talk. She had her moment with Rajan. Now it was time to sort things out with Navya. _God, why did tonight have to be such a rollercoaster of emotions?_


	9. Chapter 9

Once they were out of the reception hall, Navya breathed deeply. It had occurred to Kala then that she never saw Navya so visibly…shaken like this. In all of her interactions with her, Navya was always headstrong and confident. She stuttered a little as she spoke now, “Kala I-I just wanted to say I’m sorry. For mistreating you the way I have from the very beginning.”

Kala shook her head. “Navya, it’s –

Navya stopped her with a hand on her arm. Kala took a moment to admire up close the swirls and patterns of the mehndi drawn meticulously all over Navya’s arm. “No. Please. It’s not okay, and you know it.” She exhaled, shoulders slumping a little, but she pulled herself back up. “I do admit that I was jealous of you, and your previous relationship with Rajan." 

Kala could understand Navya being jealous of her past with Rajan. _But jealous? Of her?_ “Why? I don’t understand…”

“Are you kidding me?” Navya scoffed. “You’re intelligent, you’re kind, and you’re beautiful.” She sighed wistfully. “No wonder people fall in love with you so easily. You would have been the perfect bride for Rajan.”

Kala let out a deep breath of her own. “Rajan and I…it was never like that. Not for me, at least.” The feeling of regret washed over her again. _Regret at inflicting pain on Rajan. Regret that her relationship with him caused Navya unnecessary insecurity_. But this was her and Navya’s chance to finally talk it out. “To be honest, it never even came close to what you and him have right now. He loves you so much, and everyone can see it. You have nothing to doubt, Navya.”

Then two women, frantically running up to them, interrupted Navya before she could speak further. “Navya!” They shrieked in eerie synchronisation. “There you are!” One of them exclaimed. “It’s time to cut your cake!” The other called out.

Navya tossed her an apologetic look. “I have to go. Thank you, Kala. I hope we can talk to each other more back in Chicago.”

“Me too. Thanks, Navya.”

She watched as the two women, who fussed at the back of Navya’s lengha, whisked her back into the reception hall, whispering things such as “We’ve been looking everywhere for you!” and “Sorry, dear. You can talk with your guests later”.

Kala spent another few minutes standing in the same spot where Navya left her, content just to breathe – for a lack of a better word, Kala could only think of one – peacefully.

 _That was it. That was the state of being she is in right now. Peace._ She felt at peace.

_Perhaps she could be happy after all._

She walked back to their table, Wolfgang sitting comfortably on his chair with a slight smirk on his face. At the puzzled look she gave him, he tilted his head in gesture for her to look at the table. Kala flushed when she saw every seat on the table was occupied. She raised an eyebrow at Wolfgang and he winked at her salaciously, looking down at his legs, and she inhaled sharply when she realised what he was trying to imply.

He wanted her to sit on his lap.

She froze in her spot just a few steps away from him, and he must have mistaken her stoicism for feeling uncomfortable, because his eyes immediately softened, and he shook his head as if to say it was a joke. But Kala could understand the implications behind his expression: _only if you want._  

 _Only if you want._ And God, did she want to.

Their stare was broken when someone leaned over Wolfgang and placed a big slice of cake in front of him. Kala took the opportunity to close the distance between them and gracefully dropped herself on his lap, her back leaning against his chest.

Wolfgang grunted, clearly caught off guard, but he recovered quickly and schooled his features to a casual grin. She could feel his reluctance to secure her against him. One of his arms rested on the table, palm nursing a half-empty bottle of beer. With his other hand, he tentatively brushed the knuckles along her side, probably gauging her reaction so he could either pull away or keep going.

_He didn’t want to make her feel uncomfortable._

Emboldened by this, she took his arm and wrapped it over her stomach to rest around her waist. The skin on her arms pebbled with goosebumps when the warmth from Wolfgang’s body seeped into her own, mixing with the chilly blast of the room’s air-conditioning. She shivered at the sensation.

She felt him press his face against the back of her shoulder. He dropped a soft kiss against her skin with a smile.

Kala turned her head, gathered her hair to one side and offered him a shy smile of her own. “Hi.”

He blinked twice before he repeated her words. “Hi.”

Wolfgang glanced to where Navya and Rajan sat (on top of the stage, along with their immediate families and the wedding party), and looked back at Kala, his eyebrows raised in question. _Right. She hadn’t told him about her enlightened conversations with them._

“I’m okay.” _And she was. She really was._ He nodded, and now, feeling more at ease, she shifted sideways so her legs were draped over his. “What kind of cake is it?”

He shrugged, the movement making Kala shift as well. “I don’t know. Haven’t tried it yet.”

“Hm.” She leaned forward to inspect the cake closer. One side was covered in white frosting, and had a piece of edible pearl in the centre of the lace-like pattern also piped in white gel. The cake itself was a deep-maroon colour, looking moist and dense even from the first glance. Red velvet. Her favourite.

She carved the side of the cake slathered thick in frosting with her fork, and took a taste. She closed her eyes and hummed in satisfaction at the sweetness of it, leaning back against Wolfgang in her euphoria.

He chuckled against her ear. “Good?” She nodded. “I’ll try it.” The hand that was holding his drink let go of the bottle, and moved to grab the fork off her. She placed her hand on top of his to stop him.

She cut up another piece, this time with less frosting. She remembered him liking the chai because it wasn’t too sweet. _He would probably want the same for his desserts._ But she couldn’t resist. She swiped a little more frosting onto the fork and slowly turned around to face him. Her other hand was cupped underneath to catch any stray crumbs. 

She lifted up the fork to his mouth. “Here.”

His eyes lit up mischievously, and he leaned forward to take the bite into his mouth. She held the fork steady with bated breath, their eyes never leaving each other throughout.

“Good?” She mimicked his earlier question, and he too hummed in agreement. After quickly placing the fork down on the plate, she turned back to beam at him. Her eyes flicked down his face, but she froze when she saw the streak of frosting on the corner of his mouth.

Almost mindlessly, like some sort of instinct, she wiped it off with her finger and brought it straight to her mouth to lick it clean, enjoying the saccharine burst on her tongue.

When she looked up again at Wolfgang, his pupils were the darkest she had ever seen. _Oh._ Her own eyes widened as she realised what she had done. She could hear him breathe heavily, and could feel the rise and fall of his chest against her shoulder. _Oh_. They said nothing.

Slightly shaking, she trailed her fingers over his lips, the tips barely touching the chapped skin. He inhaled sharply and breathed out through his nose, tickling Kala’s skin.

They just stared at each other for an indefinite amount of time – cake forgotten and the laughter and joy of the people around them dissolving into white noise. Their presence was all that mattered. Kala blushed at the intensity of his gaze, but refused to look away. Wolfgang smiled at that.

  
…

  
They returned to their hotel room without a single word spoken between them. Kala’s nervousness stewed during the car ride, but now, as they were packing up their suitcases their backs facing each other, her anxiousness festered and she couldn’t bear to be in this silence any longer—

“What time’s your flight tomorrow?” She jumped a little when Wolfgang’s casual tone echoed in the room.

“Two-thirty,” her voice was clipped. _What was going on?_ “You?”

“Three-thirty.”

Kala hummed, and they were back to their awkward silence again before Wolfgang piped again, “We have to get to the airport before eleven, right?”

She nodded. “Yes.”

 _Why was she all shy now? He was initiating the conversation. Say something. God, Kala. Get yourself together._  

Instead, she gathered a change of clothes and mumbled a low, “I’m going to take a shower. Excuse me.”

_Excuse me? There was actually something wrong with her._

  
…

  
She felt more relaxed after being soaked under the warm spray of the shower. She stepped out of the bathroom at the same time Wolfgang straightened himself up, zipping his carryon suitcase shut and setting it against the wall next to his bedside table.

His back was still facing her, and she was about to ask him something ( _anything_ ) when her phone chimed in rapid succession, vibrating loudly from where it sat on top of the wooden dresser. _Wow. That was a lot of messages at once._

Her phone screen was inundated with attachments and short messages – all from Daya. The most recent message only contained two words.

_You’re welcome. (Received 9:45 PM)_

She unlocked her phone and scrolled up to the very first message Daya sent her that night. She clicked on the grey rectangle and waited for the image to load. When it finally did, Kala beamed at her screen. It was a snapshot of Navya and Rajan, their faces deliriously happy as they walked around the sacred fire, promising to commit their love to one another.

She tapped on the screen to see how many attachments Daya had sent her.

Fifty photos. _Well. She practically sent her a whole album._

“Hey.” Kala waved her phone in the air when Wolfgang turned to face her. “Daya sent me pictures from the wedding.” 

He walked over, an impressed scowl on his face. “Already?”

Kala grimaced. “It’s a hobby of hers.”

Wolfgang stood behind her, and she looked at him briefly, before nodding and scrolling to the left. It was another shot from the wedding, this time Rajan speaking into a microphone with the widest grin on his face, Navya looking at him with a loving expression. The next few were different angles of their first kiss as a newly wedded couple. 

“They’re really happy,” Wolfgang breathed out. There was something in his tone that made Kala’s stomach clench in nervousness. 

“Yes,” she nodded. “They are.”

She scrolled to the next photo and cleared her throat when her eyes processed the image. It was taken at the wedding reception. It was a shot of her eating, and Wolfgang sitting next to her, watching her with an amused smile on his face.

Next. Another photo of her at the table, laughing as she talked with Auntie across the table. Again, Wolfgang’s face was set to his trademark smirk.

The next one was exactly the same. And the next photo, and the next photo, and the next photo.

Her mouth went dry. _Wolfgang was looking at her in every single one._

Daya’s message came to the forefront of her thoughts: _You’re welcome._ She really needed to lecture Daya about taking photos of her.

She cleared her throat and scrolled to what was now the fifteenth photo. Then her thumb froze on the screen. It was taken from a distance, but there was no mistaking the two people in the frame: her and Wolfgang. But they looked different. Out of place. _No. That wasn’t the right way to describe it._ They looked…like a couple. Holding hands on the table, looking at each other with small, secretive smiles.

Kala rolled her eyes as the memory swam to her mind. That was just before _the woman_ decided to flirt with Wolfgang. What she didn’t remember though, was the look on Wolfgang’s face, now abundantly clear in the photo. He looked at her as if he was in awe, like he couldn’t believe she was real.

_Oh._

From behind her, Wolfgang’s breathing was ragged, and she remembered that she wasn’t alone in looking at the photos.

She shifted her head slowly to the side, and gasped softly when she saw _that look_ reflected on his features as he stared back at her.

Her stomach clenched again. This time in anticipation.

Kala’s eyes zoned in on Wolfgang’s lips, watching as his tongue darted out to lick the dryness. His mouth opened slightly, but closed just as fast, his jaw tightened as he tried to find the words.

 _She knew what he was going to ask._ “Can I—

“Yes.” She nodded impatiently.

She didn’t have the presence of mind to be bothered by the sound of her phone clattering on the floor. All she could think was _finally_ as Wolfgang turned her around to frame her face with his warm hands, and his lips descended on hers.

Kala didn’t know where to place her own hands, first wrapping them around his waist, and then trailing one hand up his torso to tug at the material of his shirt. 

His hands buried themselves in her curls, and Kala sighed into his mouth when he started massaging her scalp.

She pulled away slowly and rested her forehead against his, trying to even her breathing.

There were so many emotions bubbling within her, and it was overwhelming. _Almost too overwhelming._ She tried to focus on one feeling. But which feeling? Elation that she and Rajan finally made peace with their past? Gladness that she and Navya sorted out the miscommunications that fuelled their petty bickering in the first place? Happiness at the feeling of Wolfgang’s lips against hers?

Her emotions settled for anger and frustration. Directed at her.

_Why didn’t she kiss him sooner? Of all the times she could have, it was now, the night before they were supposed to part ways, which she chose to? God!_

She wanted to kick herself.

“Kala?”

She didn’t realise she had been crying until she felt his thumbs wiping at the corners of her eyes. He was mumbling something under his breath. German. She didn’t recognise any of it, but she knew what they were nonetheless. Words of comfort.

He hushed her gently when her tears subsided, when she was just whimpering and sobbing. “What’s wrong?”

She shook her head as she lowered it down to his chest. “I don’t want to leave,” she whispered, her hands gripping tight on the front of his shirt.

His lips stayed on the crown of her head, and she felt his lips move with every breath. “Me neither.” He said in an equally quiet voice. Like this moment was just for them, and no one else. Kala was dizzy at that thought. “Do we have to?” 

She smiled, and bit softly on his skin. His groan was muffled against her hair, but she heard it nonetheless. A shiver went down her spine as he pulled back and cupped her face with both hands. His thumbs caressed her cheeks with that soft smile.

Kala sobbed again at the tenderness of it all, and rose up on her toes to kiss him. He leaned down to accommodate her, and just like _that_ desperation kicked in. She walked backwards, pulling him with her, and when the back of her knees hit the bedframe, she was jolted back into reality.

She broke their kiss, panting softly against his lips, as she tried to make sense of what to do next. For all the desire thrumming in her body, for all her attraction to Wolfgang, for the absolute certainty that he wanted her in the same way – she didn’t want her first time with Wolfgang to feel like it was going to be the last time they were going to see each other.

And she knew. She _knew_ he felt it as acutely as her, because he continued to kiss her languidly and thoroughly, as if they had all the time in the world.

_She wished they had more time._

Her chest tightened at the thought of all the wasted moments they shared. _Well, not a total waste._ She recalled their small, yet steady intimate interactions throughout the week. From him comforting her when she felt anxious, to lacing their fingers together even when they didn’t need to, to the small smiles they gave each other across the room (or the table or the street or whenever they were talking to someone else). Somehow, _maybe_ , it was all leading up to this. 

His tongue flicked out to glide along the line of her lips, moaning when she opened her mouth to him. Her hands tightened their grip on his shirt and she wanted to— 

_Ring! Ring! Ring!_

No.

_Ring! Ring! Ring!_

Not now. Please.

She grunted at the incessant sharp trill of an incoming call from her phone ( _no way in hell was she going to let them be interrupted this time_ ), and tilted her head to kiss him harder. She couldn’t break away, didn’t _want_ to break away.

Wolfgang smiled against her mouth. But he slowed the push and pull of their lips down nevertheless, and breathed out, “You should get that." 

Kala pouted, and walked towards the source of the noise. She picked her phone up from the floor with a huff. Gathering her breath, she looked at the caller ID. She accepted the call with a sigh. “Hello, Nomi.”

Nomi’s cheerful voice eliminated any animosity within her straight away. “Hey, Kala. Are you in the middle of packing right now?”

“No.” She looked at Wolfgang, who stood with hands on his hips right where she left him. She swallowed at the heated expression on his face that he didn’t bother to hide. “We just finished packing up.”

Wolfgang removed his shirt and tossed it among the small pile of dirty clothes they had amassed over the week. _Right._ Her eyes traced the muscles on his abdomen. _They had somehow forgotten to do laundry._ A voice in her ear reminded her that she was in the middle of a conversation. She dropped her gaze from Wolfgang’s body, hiding the blush on her face behind the curtain of her hair. 

She tuned in to Nomi, who thankfully didn’t notice that she wasn’t paying attention. “Oh it’s _we_ now, huh?” Kala rolled her eyes. She could practically see the suggestive looks on Nomi’s face. “How’s Wolfgang? Tell me you had sex with him, or at least made out with him.”

Kala gasped, slapping a hand over her mouth. “Nomi!”

“What?” Nomi asked nonchalantly. “ _God_. One passionate night before you two return to your home cities. How romantic would that be?”

Wolfgang lay on his back on his side of the bed, folded his arms behind his head, and just stared at her as she spoke on the phone. Her clamminess must have alarmed him, because he looked at her cautiously.

She shook her head at him, and he instantly loosened his limbs, stretching on the bed with a strangled moan.

The sound made Kala’s breath hitch and her heart beat faster, and she couldn’t bear to think of _that_ right now. “Oh my god,” she said more to herself than to Nomi. “No. I’m not talking about this with you.”

“Why? Is he there?” Nomi’s tone was inquisitive…and dangerously giddy.

Kala cleared her throat. “No…” Obviously she wasn’t as good of a liar than she thought, because Nomi saw through it right away. “Okay, yes, he’s in the room. But that’s not the point!”

At the mention of his presence, Wolfgang wagged his eyebrows playfully at her. He seemed genuinely interested in the conversation. She waved a dismissive hand, hoping he wouldn’t press her on the matter.

Nomi scoffed. “What’s the point then?” Then Kala heard the faint sound of snapping fingers. “Oh, yeah. I almost forgot why I called you in the first place.” Nomi laughed. “So, since you have to be at the airport before lunchtime, I booked your airport transfer to pick you and Wolfgang up from the hotel at ten-thirty. You should arrive at the airport an hour after that, depending on the traffic.”

Now that they were talking about something unrelated to Wolfgang, Kala relaxed. “Thank you, Nomi.” She was grateful to her, for planning this whole trip. Kala smiled as she heard the grin in Nomi’s voice.

“You’re welcome. I can’t wait until you get back.”

Kala nodded, though she remembered Nomi couldn’t see her. “Yeah,” she breathed. “Me too.”

She ended the call, and turned around for a few moments to fumble with the adapter on the wall, wanting to charge her phone.

When she faced Wolfgang again, he was placing the pillows in a meticulous line down the middle of the bed like she had been doing every night since they arrived. Kala swallowed. _He didn’t want to make her feel uncomfortable._

She asked him anyway. “What are you doing?”

He shrugged. “Putting your line of pillows up,” he chuckled.

She shook her head softly, and he stopped, one hand still holding on to a pillow. Slowly, she made her way to the side of the bed, but she didn’t lie down. _Not yet._

She removed the carefully constructed line of pillows one by one, gently setting them down on the floor. Wolfgang’s expression was blank, but she could see his pupils widen as he realised what her actions implied.

All but two pillows remained on the bed. Wolfgang kept his gaze on her as he lay back down, one arm stretched over the other pillow. _Her pillow._

Kala smiled, and without preamble, she laid herself down facing Wolfgang. She wrapped one arm around his torso, the other pressed flat against his chest, her body curling towards his. His other arm caressed the expanse of her back, and pulled her closer to him, their legs tangled in each other’s.

They stayed in comfortable silence for seconds, minutes, hours – Kala didn’t know for sure. But when her eyes started feeling heavy, she nuzzled her face against his collarbone and kissed the skin there softly.

“Good night,” she whispered. 

He kissed the top of her head. “Good night.”

  
…

  
Kala’s hand was gripped firm in Wolfgang’s as they walked to her departure gate at the airport. The queue was still long, so Kala pulled them off to the side, dropped her bags, and threw her arms around Wolfgang in a tight embrace.

_This is goodbye._

He chuckled at her suddenness, and he lifted her up and spun her around in return. Their laughs were unbridled, the lightness of the moment somewhat alleviated the heaviness in Kala’s heart when Wolfgang set her down to her feet.

_It didn’t feel like a goodbye._

She ran her hands along the line of his shoulders, smoothing out the wrinkles of his shirt. “Thank you, Wolfgang.”

“For what?” He smirked, and Kala was taken back to their first meeting in Heathrow Airport. She wanted to laugh out loud. _Oh, how things turned out different than what she expected._

But she settled for a smile, her words holding far more meaning that she hoped Wolfgang would understand. One of her hands slid up to cup his cheek. “For everything. For this week. For coming to India with me.”

His smirk softened into a smile that mirrored hers. She was so close to crying again. She craned her neck up just as he said, “Then I suppose I should thank you, too." 

He brought his head down to meet her halfway, their lips pressing for a few beats before Kala pulled away, overwhelmed by her emotions.

She leaned her forehead against his, and kept her eyes closed as she spoke. “I’ll miss you.”

Her words hung in the air. They stood in silence and listened to the sounds of the airport: luggage trolleys being wheeled across the floor, children running amuck and their parents scrambling to get them out of harm’s way.

Kala never wanted to break from this moment with Wolfgang. She wanted to savour this. Savour the feeling of his hands drawing circles on her hipbone. Savour the feel of his rough stubble against the palm of her hand.

In a matter of days, they went from being strangers thrown together by circumstance ( _and choice_ , her stomach clenched at the thought of Wolfgang’s choice to agree to this), to clutching each other desperately at the airport before they go their separate ways.

_Where do they go from here?_

Wolfgang seemed to think the same. “I will come to Chicago,” he murmured in that low voice again. 

She shook her head, her forehead rubbing against his, and the tip of their noses touched with the motion. “No,” she whispered. She opened her eyes to look at him.

_She had already made up her mind._

“Why not?” Kala heard him intake a breath, holding it as he waited to say her next words.

She couldn’t hold back her smile as she said, “I’ve never been to Berlin.” She laughed as his eyes widened, and the hands on her hips pulled her even closer to his chest. She tugged on the sleeves of his shirt. “I’ll visit you.”

He leaned down to capture her lips, their mouths smiling against each other as they kissed, and kissed and kissed. 

Wolfgang pulled away to catch his breath, and they barely caught the last of the announcement blared from the speakers that the flight outbound to Chicago was departing in twenty-five minutes, and that it will be the last call for passengers to go through the screening gate before they close.

The smile on Kala’s face was bright, but her eyes reflected a twinge of sadness as she looked at Wolfgang for a few more moments. She committed this to memory: mussed blond hair, blue eyes crinkled as he grinned back at her, and swollen lips. _How could she ever forget?_ She turned around to gather her bags from where she haphazardly dropped them on the seat. He caught her hand before she walked away and gave her one last peck on the lips.

“It’s a date.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AAAND that's a wrap! i hope you guys enjoyed this! if you want to chat about our love for sense8 and our obsession with kala and wolfgang, feel free to hit me up on joooooooo-e.tumblr.com :)

**Author's Note:**

> inspired by @taliapotter's 'Do You...' here on ao3 which is also a kalagang fic of the same trope. much love, girl! this is my own take on a fake date AU because why not?


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